Activists Manhandled In Guwahati While Rescuing Dog From Abuse

Two weeks after requesting police protection citing threats, an animal activist was manhandled and his female associate was misbehaved with by a group of residents in Guwahati’s Lachit Nagar area. The incident occurred near Banikanta College of Teacher's Education last Thursday (November 5) when they were trying to rescue a dog from brutal abuse, said rescuer Abhay Bora.

Bora told Pratidin Time that he received information about a stray dog in the area being tied up and beaten by the locals and had gone with a fellow activist to rescue it. When they approached the dog, they were heckled and misbehaved with by the group. In a scuffle that broke out between both sides, Bora and his friend also sustained injuries.

He said, “First they told us that the dog was causing menace in the area and had reportedly bitten someone as well. I told them that beating the dog was not a solution. I tried to make them understand that in such cases, they can approach the GMC, NGOs or individual activists like us who will take the dog away. One of them said that I was just talking big and would not do anything for the dog. That is when a crowd gathered around us.”

“My friend Chandamita Das also tried to make them understand and pacify the situation. We had already called GMC and a vehicle was on the way. That is when they started pushing and hurling abuses at us. They tried to snatch our phones. We called the police and by the time they reached the scene, most of the crowd had dispersed,” Bora said, adding that there were around 40 to 50 people who had surrounded them, with some having rods in their hands as well.

A video of the dog being abused was shared on the internet.

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He mentioned that it has been successfully rescued, albeit with serious injuries, and is being taken care of at present. “It [assault on the dog] was premeditated. Our only aim was to save the dog and get it treated. However, they misbehaved and escalated the situation to something else,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bora also pointed out the police’s unwillingness to take the matter more seriously. Having previously sought protection, he said that he did not receive much help in that regard from the police. However, he admitted that the threats did stop as the people behind backed off after news of it spread. “They told me that our main concern was to save the dog and we should focus on that. I also agreed as we managed to save the dog,” he said.

Police Protection Over Threats

Earlier, Abhay Bora had sought protection from the police after receiving threats over phone calls from allegedly influential persons. This was reportedly after he had rescued a dog named ‘Prince’ from abuse at the hands of its owner Salim ul Islam. A video of the incident was also captured by him providing evidence. It has been widely shared online since sparking outrage from netizens.

Also Read: Guwahati: Dog Rescuer Receives Death Threats, Appeals For Protection