Twinkle Khanna has weighed in on the ongoing debate around the Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs, saying the protests that followed exposed the “hypocrisy” of human nature.
The Supreme Court had earlier, on August 11, ordered the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR amid rising rabies cases. However, the court later tweaked its order, clarifying that the animals should be sterilised and released back — unless they are rabid or “aggressive” — instead of being kept in shelters.
Why It Felt ‘Personal’ for Twinkle
In her latest column for The Times of India, Twinkle revealed that the issue struck close to home. “For over a fortnight, my feed has been buzzing about the Supreme Court’s order to remove thousands of stray dogs from Delhi streets. Our building, too, has a few strays that we’ve unofficially adopted. It started with a little tawny pup we named Coco, and soon, her children became part of our lives. They are vaccinated, but not sterilised. The idea of them being taken away and locked up felt very personal,” she wrote.
‘Selective Empathy and Hypocrisy’
The author and former actor then pointed out the double standards she noticed in the protests. “On the flip side, the protests also revealed an inherent hypocrisy in human nature, including mine. I applaud those who show up with placards, braving downpours and police action. But at the same time, there are countless armchair protestors who post about strays between bites of mutton biryani. We thrive on selective empathy. Either all life is precious, or none is — but morality tastes better when served with a McDonald’s hamburger,” she wrote.
Twinkle, however, stressed the need for balance. “Sterilisation and vaccination protect both people and strays. Fortunately, the Supreme Court has modified its previous order. Blanket removal of the dogs was, at best, convenience turned into policy,” she added.
The Bigger Picture
On August 11, a bench of Justices Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to remove stray dogs and house them in shelters. This sparked widespread protests across the city, with many demanding the order be rolled back.
The court has now clarified that stray dogs cannot be permanently removed, except in cases where they are rabid or dangerously aggressive.
SRC-Hindustan Times
