Why Maneka Gandhi says Delhi- NCR could face 1880s Paris-style problems if stray dogs are removed
Supreme Court
's directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and place them in shelters has triggered a heated debate over whether the move is realistic or wise. On Monday, the court ordered the immediate removal of all stray dogs from public spaces in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad.
Following the decision, former Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi criticised the order, calling it 'impractical', 'financially unviable' and 'potentially harmful' to the region's ecological balance.
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She warned of unintended consequences, saying that removing strays could create new problems. 'Within 48 hours, three lakh dogs will come from Ghaziabad, Faridabad, because there's food here in Delhi. And once you remove the dogs, monkeys will come on the ground... I've seen this happen at my own house.'
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Recalling a historical example, Gandhi referred to 1880s Paris: 'When they removed dogs and cats, the city was overrun with rats,' she said, describing dogs as 'rodent control animals'.
What exactly happened in Paris in the 1880s?
In the late 19th century, stray dogs roamed Paris in large numbers and were often seen as dangerous transmitters of rabies, fleas, and filth. The city administration considered them a threat to cleanliness, public health, and safety.
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In the 1880s, a large-scale removal, and in some cases slaughter, of dogs was carried out in an attempt to curb rabies and make the French capital more 'modern' and safe. While the historical record on cats is less clear for this period, it is believed that removing dogs caused an unexpected spike in the city's rat population, as the animals had been an important natural check on rodents.
Research in Stray Dogs and the Making of Modern Paris notes that in 1883, pharmacist Emile Capron appealed for the removal of stray dogs, arguing they scared horses and caused accidents. However, there is no definitive evidence of a simultaneous large-scale killing of cats.
The idea of a 'cat massacre' in Paris has its own separate history. Historian Robert Darnton wrote about a grim incident in his 1984 book The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History. This was based on an event from the 1730s, when a group of printing press apprentices in Paris tortured and killed cats in protest against their working conditions. According to History Today, the episode was part of a strange blend of cruelty, social commentary, and dark humour that reflected the tensions of the time.
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