The ugly side to the beautiful state of Nagaland-Dog Bazaars

I am sure most of us know what animal rights are, but we have a rough idea of it. Most of us still don’t

know the exact penal codes of the country’s law protecting animals. So before beginning with the main problem i.e. Dog Bazaars of Nagaland let me walk you through some of the penal codes. So sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code and Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 make it illegal to maim or cause any injury to any animal. It is also illegal for vehicles to profusely injure dogs, cats and cows on the streets. The punishment for all the above acts can be a jail term of up to five years.

Now in order to bring your attention to the main agenda, one should properly understand what a Dog Bazaar is- So there is a Bazaar dog meet market in Nagaland, where approximately 20 live dogs are slaughtered on the spot each Wednesday, for dog meat. The dog butchers and dog traders working at Nagaland’s market bazaar are all women. The market is open every day, but dog meat is only sold on

Wednesdays. The dogs are slaughtered to fill the demand. If the market is a little slow, the remaining live dogs are removed and kept in a holding cage until the following week's sale-day.To slaughter the dogs, women feebly bludgeon the dogs on the head with a “big stick or thin iron bar.” Because the women lack the brute strength men possess, the women butchers have to repeatedly hit each dog on the head several times, just for it to lose consciousness.

The supply of dogs is sourced by various methods. A growing number of people are operating small dog

farms where dogs are bred specifically to be sold at the Wednesday Bazaar market for meat.

Wednesday Bazaar Market is also an outlet for pet owners to get rid of unwanted pets, by selling them

to the women dog butchers for quick cash. One of the team members of an animal rights group witnessed this take place with their own neighbour, who sold their own house pet to be killed for meat, in exchange for cash.

It is believed that a number of dogs sold at Nagaland’s Wednesday Bazaar are stolen house pets, even though they’re not wearing collars when they’re tied into the sacks, waiting for slaughter.

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Author: Kaashwini Dagar