Anand Krishnan: joy and second chances
He had grown up around dogs in Chennai, sneaking his plate of sambhar rice or curd rice past his grandmother to share it with the streeties outside his home. It was only natural when, alongside his sales day job, he began volunteering and also training to be a dog groomer and, later, a trainer. He never could be a veterinarian like he had always wanted, but he gathered enough formal knowledge to quit sales and work at a veterinary hospital in Bengaluru.
Back then, most shelters would euthanise dogs with spinal cord injuries — caused largely by road accidents or human cruelty (someone hitting a dog's spine with a hard object). 'None of them had the capacity to take in paralysed dogs,' says Krishnan. 'Those who didn't believe in euthanasia used to keep them, but they were not able to give them any quality of life, and the dogs would eventually die of secondary infections.' But Krishnan knew that there had to be more to their life than suffering.
Saving Old Monk and Pepsi
In 2012, when he rescued one such dog whom he named Remy Martin (the other two rescues who lived with him then were called Johnnie Walker and Old Monk), he thought to himself: 'Let's not give up. We can do something.' That marked the start of his second life as someone who would one day run his own shelter for paralysed dogs in Denkanikottai, 60 km from Bengaluru.
He set up ROAR or Remi's Organisation for Animal Rehabilitation in 2018 after he qualified as a hydrotherapist in the U.K. The shelter, his house essentially, has 52 paralysed residents (most are paraplegic and some are paraparetic) who move with the help of wheels.
An additional 18 dogs are neighbourhood rescues, many of them accident victims with fractures, or three legs. Most of the paralysed dogs have been 'adopted' by people who pay a monthly fee to support them. Krishnan is hoping to move to a larger facility in a year.
He shares all this very matter-of-factly, using words like 'practical' and 'stable' to describe himself. The only time he uses the word 'heartbreaking' is when he tells me about Pepsi, a tiny dachshund who had to be rescued from a breeder who wanted to continue using her for breeding despite the fact that she was paralysed.
Yet, Krishnan is the sort of guy who will get up and drive 10 hours from Bengaluru to Thrissur in Kerala to pick up Kuttan, a paralysed dog, just because somebody tagged him on Facebook. At a time when we are fighting to keep Indies on our streets, Krishnan's story goes beyond a love for canines. Even the most ardent dog lovers are wary about taking responsibility for seriously injured dogs.
Can we learn to co-exist?
Krishnan's story, that he narrates without any dramatic pauses or flourishes, demonstrates an extraordinary empathy for animals — and the determination to ensure that seriously injured dogs can be joyful again. Remy died in 2015, but Bouncer, a brown and white paralysed puppy, whom he adopted from a shelter in Mumbai around the same time, is nearly 11 years old. Bouncer was Krishnan's first proof that a paralysed dog can live a full life. 'We have gone on road trips, and to the beach,' he says. 'He's travelled a lot.'
At ROAR, disability is not a limitation. Forget suffering, the focus is on adventure as is demonstrated by the many 'gate opening' videos on the non-profit's Instagram page where dogs on wheels excitedly rush out of the shelter for their run/playtime. Last year, on August 15, he attached the tricolour to their wheelchairs and the video went viral, but this year, there was no celebration because of the Supreme Court's demand to remove stray dogs from the streets of Delhi and the NCR.
Krishnan feels we wouldn't be in this situation if civic bodies had properly implemented the 24-year-old Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, sterilising and vaccinating strays to control their population in a humane manner.
He wishes neighbourhoods would learn to co-exist, with those who don't like dogs ignoring or avoiding them and with those who take care of community dogs being mindful of where they feed the animals. He wants parents to keep a closer eye on their children and wants dog lovers to think of shelters for dogs with behavioural issues.
'Dogs are quick to forget and quick to move on,' Krishnan says about those animals who have experienced cruelty. 'That's something I think we should all definitely learn from them.'
The writer is a Bengaluru-based journalist and the co-founder of India Love Project on Instagram.
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Hans India
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Small people & big egos
I often wonder what has happened to us as people. We belong to a civilization that taught the world humility, simplicity, openness, and the grace of being grounded. We inherited centuries of wisdom that celebrated self-restraint over self-importance, respect over arrogance, and learning over posturing. Yet, in present-day India, I see an alarming rise of big egos across all layers of society. This is not an elitist issue. It is not restricted to the rich, the powerful, or the highly educated. In fact, the irony is that big egos are now flourishing in places where they have no business to exist, in lower-income groups, middle class, and upper middle-class circles. The security guard who talks down to delivery staff, the junior executive who refuses to learn from seniors, the young tech professional who believes he knows more than anyone who came before him, the shopkeeper who treats customers with disdain, the disease is everywhere. It is a paradox I cannot ignore. A society with limited resources in the past, which once valued humility as a natural way of life, is now brimming with a strange, misplaced arrogance. What a big ego looks like today When I speak of 'big ego' here, I am not talking about healthy self-confidence or self-esteem. I am referring to the toxic, hollow, complex ego that thrives on appearances, not substance. You can spot it almost instantly: ♦ False pride masking insecurity. ♦ Close-mindedness to any perspective that is not their own. ♦ An I-know-it-all attitude that refuses guidance. ♦ Arrogance in tone and body language. ♦ Complex social conduct designed to confuse or intimidate others. ♦ Being difficult to deal with, as a way to feel important. ♦ Insubordination at work without cause. ♦ Disrespect towards people who cannot retaliate. ♦ Highly reactive to the smallest disagreement. ♦ Sharp-tongued in conversations, often without provocation. ♦ A lack of genuineness, where relationships are more transactional than authentic. ♦ Fake social exhibitionism, lies, show-off, and deceit. I have seen it in public spaces, in offices, in families, and even in places meant to serve, hospitals, schools, and government offices. It has become a big social trend to appear inaccessible, unapproachable, to project toughness, to fake wealth and superiority. Why this is happening This rise in inflated egos is not random. There are clear social and economic shifts feeding this behaviour. 1. Economic leap without emotional growth In the last two decades, millions of Indians have moved from modest financial means to far better lifestyles. Many are the first in their families to own cars, travel abroad, or afford luxury brands. While there is nothing wrong with progress, the problem begins when financial upgrades are not matched with emotional upgrades. Money can buy comfort, but it cannot buy stability, maturity and humility. 2. Social media amplification Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn have created a constant stage for self-promotion. Likes and comments have become the new measure of self-worth. This environment encourages 'performance' and 'posturing' over authenticity, credibility and humility. 3. Education without human skills Our education system often rewards memorisation and competition, not real knowledge, congruence or mental acuity. Millions of graduates enter the workforce every year with bare minimum technical skills but mostly without inter-personal skills, social congruence, emotional skills to collaborate, listen, and learn. 4. Workplace insulation High-paying jobs, especially in multinational companies, sometimes shield individuals from criticism. When people work in environments where accountability is diluted and performance reviews are more about managing internal politics than merit, they start believing they are untouchable. The young and the arrogant – a dangerous start This trend is perhaps most alarming among teenagers and young adults. Many of them are stepping into adulthood already wearing the heavy armour of ego. They neither learn from their parents nor from their teachers. In fact, they often dismiss both as outdated or irrelevant. Part of the problem is the absence of powerful role models in their lives. Many do not have mentors they admire or emulate. The cultural and social vacuum is being filled by social media influencers who sell 'attitude', not wisdom. Add to this an overreliance on search engines and Gen AI technology, and you have a generation that feels it knows everything at the tap of a screen. Unfortunately, many can't differentiate between information and experience driven from knowledge application. I have seen youngsters openly mocking experts in highly specialized fields, dismissing decades of earned experience with the confidence of someone who has read a few online articles and watched few subject videos. It is downright silly, but also deeply worrying. The access to information has been confused with ownership of wisdom. Knowledge without humility is like a car without brakes - it will eventually crash, and often at a high speed. This inflated sense of self at such a young age is dangerous when they enter professional life. Imagine a 23-year-old in their first job, convinced they have nothing to learn, quick to dismiss senior colleagues, and allergic to feedback. They are not just limiting their own growth; they are damaging the collaborative culture that workplaces depend on. What they fail to understand is that careers are built not just on a skill-set, but on relationships, reputation, respect and the ability to work with people very different from oneself. Ego blocks all three. Young professionals who cannot manage their egos will find themselves isolated, passed over for promotions, or quietly excluded from high-value projects. The ripple effect The danger of a big ego is not just personal. It has a ripple effect that damages relationships, workplaces, and even national productivity. For the nation, this is not just a generational quirk. If our youngest workforce is already ego-heavy and humility-light, our future competitiveness is at risk. We will have more graduates than ever, but fewer ace professionals capable of contributing meaningfully to teams, companies, and national progress. In families Ego-driven attitudes are causing fractures in family structures. Respect between generations is eroding. Parents find it difficult to guide their own children. Siblings compete for status rather than support each other. Spouses turn minor disagreements into irreparable conflicts. In workplaces Teams suffer when one or more members are arrogant, dismissive, or resistant to collaboration. Ego slows down decisions, fuels office politics, and increases attrition. Talented professionals leave toxic environments, which further weakens productivity. In society When ego becomes a social norm, civility dies. People cut in queues, refuse to say sorry, or refuse to listen. Social cooperation, which is vital for any functioning society, gets replaced by self-interest and suspicion. The most dangerous aspect is, this behaviour is contagious. Spend enough time around arrogant people and you either start imitating them or become perpetually defensive against them. Either way, the quality of social interactions collapses. The professional and economic cost As a strategist to organizations, I see this problem reflected in hard numbers. Global Capability Centers (GCCs) and multinational corporations in India are struggling to retain talent because of attitude issues. Some CEO's openly admit that technical skills are not much of the problem, but professionalism is. When inflated egos cause insubordination, poor teamwork, and high attrition, the cost of operations goes up. Projects slow down, client satisfaction dips, and competitive advantage is lost. This is not just an HR issue, it is a business risk. India's demographic advantage means little, if a large part of our workforce becomes unemployable not because of skill shortage but because of an attitude surplus. The Emotional Intelligence lens From an Emotional Intelligence perspective, big ego is not strength, it is weakness in disguise. It is often a defence mechanism for deep-seated insecurity. ♦ Lack of self-awareness: People with big egos rarely recognize how their behavior affects others. They confuse misplaced arrogance with confidence. ♦ Poor self-regulation: They react impulsively, get defensive quickly, and struggle to accept mistakes leading to massive conflicts in their personal and professional life. ♦ Low empathy: They have little interest in understanding the needs or feelings of others. ♦ Weak social skills: They cannot build genuine, long-lasting relationships because their interactions are self-serving. In short, ego inflates as emotional intelligence deflates. Corrective measures – where do we start? If we want to contain this growing menace, change must happen at multiple levels. At the individual level: ♦ Practice self-reflection: Make it a habit to ask, 'Was I respectful today? Did I listen more than I spoke?' ♦ Seek feedback: Invite trusted friends or colleagues to point out your blind spots. ♦ Deliberate humility: Do things that remind, you are not the centre of the universe, volunteer, serve, mentor without expecting returns. ♦ Be Curious: Replace 'I know' with 'I am learning.' In families: ♦ Teach children to respect everyone, from the household help to elders. ♦ Make humility part of family values, not just academic success. ♦ Model the behaviour you want your children to follow. In workplaces: ♦ Establish clear codes for behaviour and respect. ♦ Make Emotional Intelligence a mandatory part of leadership training. ♦ Reward collaboration, humility, and problem-solving, not just technical competence. At the national level ♦ Integrate value-based education into school curricula. ♦ Celebrate public figures who display humility along with achievement. ♦ Encourage leadership that is grounded, simple and people-focused. A strategist's warning This social trend is not just a social irritant, it is a strategic weakness for a nation aspiring to lead on the global stage. Collaboration is the oxygen of progress. If our people cannot work together without ego clashes, our growth will be slower, our innovations weaker, and our global reputation poorer. Ancient India understood this. That is why humility and simplicity were never presented as weakness; they were seen as power under control. We have forgotten this. In trying to look bigger, we are becoming smaller. The real sign of growth is not the size of our homes or the digits in our pay checks; it is the size of our character. A small person with a big ego is still a small person. It is time we grew smaller in ego and bigger in wisdom. 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The Hindu
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Anand Krishnan: joy and second chances
Anand Krishnan, 40, never gave up his childhood dream of working with dogs. Not when he enrolled in engineering school, like his family of engineers wanted, nor when he dropped out in the third year and began selling school buses and other commercial passenger vehicles for one of India's leading automakers. He had grown up around dogs in Chennai, sneaking his plate of sambhar rice or curd rice past his grandmother to share it with the streeties outside his home. It was only natural when, alongside his sales day job, he began volunteering and also training to be a dog groomer and, later, a trainer. He never could be a veterinarian like he had always wanted, but he gathered enough formal knowledge to quit sales and work at a veterinary hospital in Bengaluru. Back then, most shelters would euthanise dogs with spinal cord injuries — caused largely by road accidents or human cruelty (someone hitting a dog's spine with a hard object). 'None of them had the capacity to take in paralysed dogs,' says Krishnan. 'Those who didn't believe in euthanasia used to keep them, but they were not able to give them any quality of life, and the dogs would eventually die of secondary infections.' But Krishnan knew that there had to be more to their life than suffering. Saving Old Monk and Pepsi In 2012, when he rescued one such dog whom he named Remy Martin (the other two rescues who lived with him then were called Johnnie Walker and Old Monk), he thought to himself: 'Let's not give up. We can do something.' That marked the start of his second life as someone who would one day run his own shelter for paralysed dogs in Denkanikottai, 60 km from Bengaluru. He set up ROAR or Remi's Organisation for Animal Rehabilitation in 2018 after he qualified as a hydrotherapist in the U.K. The shelter, his house essentially, has 52 paralysed residents (most are paraplegic and some are paraparetic) who move with the help of wheels. An additional 18 dogs are neighbourhood rescues, many of them accident victims with fractures, or three legs. Most of the paralysed dogs have been 'adopted' by people who pay a monthly fee to support them. Krishnan is hoping to move to a larger facility in a year. He shares all this very matter-of-factly, using words like 'practical' and 'stable' to describe himself. The only time he uses the word 'heartbreaking' is when he tells me about Pepsi, a tiny dachshund who had to be rescued from a breeder who wanted to continue using her for breeding despite the fact that she was paralysed. Yet, Krishnan is the sort of guy who will get up and drive 10 hours from Bengaluru to Thrissur in Kerala to pick up Kuttan, a paralysed dog, just because somebody tagged him on Facebook. At a time when we are fighting to keep Indies on our streets, Krishnan's story goes beyond a love for canines. Even the most ardent dog lovers are wary about taking responsibility for seriously injured dogs. Can we learn to co-exist? Krishnan's story, that he narrates without any dramatic pauses or flourishes, demonstrates an extraordinary empathy for animals — and the determination to ensure that seriously injured dogs can be joyful again. Remy died in 2015, but Bouncer, a brown and white paralysed puppy, whom he adopted from a shelter in Mumbai around the same time, is nearly 11 years old. Bouncer was Krishnan's first proof that a paralysed dog can live a full life. 'We have gone on road trips, and to the beach,' he says. 'He's travelled a lot.' At ROAR, disability is not a limitation. Forget suffering, the focus is on adventure as is demonstrated by the many 'gate opening' videos on the non-profit's Instagram page where dogs on wheels excitedly rush out of the shelter for their run/playtime. Last year, on August 15, he attached the tricolour to their wheelchairs and the video went viral, but this year, there was no celebration because of the Supreme Court's demand to remove stray dogs from the streets of Delhi and the NCR. Krishnan feels we wouldn't be in this situation if civic bodies had properly implemented the 24-year-old Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, sterilising and vaccinating strays to control their population in a humane manner. He wishes neighbourhoods would learn to co-exist, with those who don't like dogs ignoring or avoiding them and with those who take care of community dogs being mindful of where they feed the animals. He wants parents to keep a closer eye on their children and wants dog lovers to think of shelters for dogs with behavioural issues. 'Dogs are quick to forget and quick to move on,' Krishnan says about those animals who have experienced cruelty. 'That's something I think we should all definitely learn from them.' The writer is a Bengaluru-based journalist and the co-founder of India Love Project on Instagram.
