Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Ferocious friends: On certain breeds of dogs and public safety

Ferocious friends: On certain breeds of dogs and public safety

While allowing for a choice of pets, raising them should not be unbridled (अनियंत्रित, निरंकुश) right

The relationship between dogs and their place in society opens up vexing (अप्रिय) dilemmas (दुविधा, कठिनाई) in India. On one hand there is the problem of street dogs. Citizens all over the country may complain about their residential colonies being under attack by roving (घूमना, भटकना) canines (dog) but this has not yet spurred (प्रेरणा) any significant political response to enforce (लागू करना) existing municipal laws to contain (control) their numbers. On the other hand, it seems that even pet dogs too have managed to raise an entirely different class of concerns meriting (justify, warrant, deserve (attention)) the attention of a central government ministry and two High Courts. Among the questions being deliberated (विचार-विमर्श करना) upon is whether certain breeds (नस्ल) of dogs are inherently (सहज रूप से, अंतरनिहीत रूप से) more “ferocious (क्रूर, कठोर)” than others. An expert committee (समिति) constituted (गठित करना) by the Department of Animal Welfare and Husbandry, Ministry of Agriculture, has recommended that certain breeds of “ferocious dogs” be prohibited from being kept as pets. Such a committee was constituted after citizen groups complained of attacks on people — sometimes fatal (घातक) — by these dogs, which prompted (cause, bring about, give rise to, result in, lead to (an action)) a petition (याचिका) in the Delhi High Court requesting it to ban certain breeds.

These include mixed and crossbreeds such as Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, American Bulldog, Boerboel, Kangal, Central Asian Shepherd Dog, among others. These rules are expected to be implemented by local authorities (प्राधिकारी). Dogs that have already been kept as pets must be sterilised to ensure that further breeding does not happen. The Karnataka High Court recently stayed (stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court)) the government order after some petitioners objected that the government department move (action, act, step, measure) was unilateral (relating to a method of taking decisions individually without considering others) and did not encompass (include, comprise, take in, embrace, subsume, incorporate) a wide enough spectrum (wide range, gamut, ambit) of expert bodies. The Kennel Club of India, a body (group, committee, organization, association) that deals with registering purebreeds (a dog who belongs to a specific breed and have a documented pedigree (unmixed origin or descent) that traces its lineage back several generations), could stand to (to take up a position with respect to an issue) be at a disadvantage (in an unfavourable situation/position) by this decision. Years of observation (examination, scrutiny, inspection, surveillance, consideration) and insight (understanding, comprehension, judgement, realization, recognition) into the temperament (nature, character, personality, diposition) of dogs have shown that ferocity (savagery, brutality, barbarity, fierceness, cruelty, aggression) and aggressiveness are a result of both environmental and behavioural factors. Thus, the age, sex, size, familiarity with other dogs, the way it is trained, and the circumstances (condition, factor, situation, backdrop, background) that provoke (cause, trigger, give rise to, prompt, kindle) aggression all contribute to ferocity. That said (in spite of what one has been just said; nevertheless), several countries have banned certain breeds or have imposed stringent (strict, severe, extreme, rigorous) conditions to own or maintain certain dog breeds. None of these countries anyway permits street dogs in the way India does and so the regulations (rule, act, law, statute, directive) are premised on (base something on) higher standards of public safety than in India. Thus, the existence or absence of certain breeds of dogs is less likely (unlikely, not likely, doubtful, improbable, questionable, debatable) to make a difference to public safety than making dog owners more liable (legally responsible, accountable, answerable, culpable, at fault) for harm caused. While individual choice in choosing and raising pets matters, it is by no means (not at all, certainly not, in no way, absolutely not, no way, under no circumstances) an unbridled right.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.ferocious (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - क्रूर, कठोर
English Meaning - wild, untamed, undomesticated, fierce, savage, uncontrolled, dangerous, brutal, violent.

2.breed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - नस्ल
English Meaning - family, stock, type, variety, kind.

3.unbridled (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनियंत्रित, निरंकुश
English Meaning - unrestrained, unconstrained, uncontrolled, unrestricted, unchecked, uncontainable, rampant, runaway.

4.vexing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अप्रिय
English Meaning - disturbing, annoying, irritating, frustrating, aggravating, maddening.

5.dilemma (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दुविधा, कठिनाई
English Meaning - difficulty, problem, trouble, quandary, predicament, conundrum; awkward/difficult situation.

6.roving (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घूमना, भटकना
English Meaning - wandering, roaming; moving here and there.

7.spur (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रेरणा
English Meaning - encourage, prompt, propel, motivate, inspire, urge, galvanize.

8.enforce (verb)

Hindi Meaning - लागू करना
English Meaning - impose, apply, implement.

9.deliberate (upon) (verb)

Hindi Meaning - विचार-विमर्श करना
English Meaning - think about, consider, discuss, contemplate, ponder (seriously and carefully about something).

10.inherently (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - सहज रूप से, अंतरनिहीत रूप से
English Meaning - naturally, innately, essentially, basically, fundamentally.

11.committee (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समिति
English Meaning - panel, council, commission, body, advisory group.

12.constitute (verb)

Hindi Meaning - गठित करना
English Meaning - form, create, set up.

13.fatal (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - घातक
English Meaning - deadly, lethal, killing.

14.petition (noun)

Hindi Meaning - याचिका
English Meaning - plea, application, urgent/earnest request (a court or other government body to take a specific action or make a particular decision).

15.authorities (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्राधिकारी
English Meaning - officials, officialdom, the people in charge, the bureaucracy.

16.open up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - unfold, disclose, reveal.

17.on the one hand (phrase)

English Meaning - it is used to introduce the first of two contrasting different, points, facts, or ways of looking at something. It is always followed later by “on the other hand” or ‘on the other’.

18.canine (noun)

English Meaning - dog.

19.contain (verb)

English Meaning - control.

20.merit (verb)

English Meaning - justify, warrant, deserve (attention).

21.Animal Husbandry (noun)

English Meaning - the branch of agriculture concerned with the rearing (breed/raise) and care of animals that are raised for food, fibre or other purposes of benefit to humans.

22.prompt (verb)

English Meaning - cause, bring about, give rise to, result in, lead to (an action).

23.sterilize (verb)

English Meaning - castrate, emasculate, caponize, cut; remove or block the sex organs to ensure breeding does not happen.

24.stay (verb)

English Meaning - stop, delay, or prevent something temporarily (a judicial proceeding/trial through the order of a court).

25.move (noun)

English Meaning - action, act, step, measure.

26.unilateral (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a method of taking decisions individually without considering others.

27.encompass (verb)

English Meaning - include, comprise, take in, embrace, subsume, incorporate.

28.spectrum (noun)

English Meaning - wide range, gamut, ambit.

29.body (noun)

English Meaning - group, committee, organization, association.

30.purebreed (noun)

English Meaning - a dog who belongs to a specific breed and have a documented pedigree (unmixed origin or descent) that traces its lineage back several generations.

31.stand to (verb)

English Meaning - to take up a position with respect to an issue.

32.at a disadvantage (phrase)

English Meaning - in an unfavourable situation/position.

33.observation (noun)

English Meaning - examination, scrutiny, inspection, surveillance, consideration.

34.insight (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, comprehension, judgement, realization, recognition.

35.temperament (noun)

English Meaning - nature, character, personality, diposition.

36.ferocity (noun)

English Meaning - savagery, brutality, barbarity, fierceness, cruelty, aggression.