JOIN USWithin minutes of Vandana Singh catching hold of Mohammad Salim, some 20 people gathered near a small mandir, adjacent to the Nizammundin nullah, arguing loudly on
the subject of ‘human rights versus animal rights’. The subject, very lucidly explained
later by Singh, who had purportedly created the ruckus.
From the assembled gathering which had joined in the fracas, Metrolife gathered, Singh had stopped and flayed Mohammad Salim, walking around with his two monkeys. “He is a cruel man,” she yelled.
Singh told Metrolife, “Have you seen how weak these monkeys are? Does he feed them at all? As soon as I showed them a stick they started crouching and screaming at its sight.” Singh claims to be an animal rights activist, (though presently not working in any organisation).
According to her, the monkeys are scared of the wooden stick with which she advanced towards them because Salim has ‘tortured’ them with sticks and cigarette butts while training them. Hence, she is within her rights as a ‘concerned citizen’ to stop him and if need be, tear his shirt and humiliate him in public.
Salim his shirt torn, eyes downcast stood mutely, as Singh continued brandishing the stick at him and his pair of cowering simians.
Not even in his darkest dreams did he imagine that he was committing such a ‘grave sin’ of domesticating and training them to perform acts in public. Reeling from the shock of the public humiliation he tells Metrolife, “My family has been in this job for years. This has been a family vocation since generations. Even my great grandfather was in this profession. I was not into this job until 12 days back. I was working as a cleaner in various places. But because I needed more money, I started this work.”
He says he got the monkeys from the Nizammudin basti and feeds them whenever he feeds himself. A lonely, unsure and emaciated man, he cut a sorry figure with his torn shirt and bewildered look. His monkeys looked feeble as well. They clung to him as the mob surrounding them grew larger and larger.
Like a man who didn’t comprehend what was happening, Salim tried to walk away. His feeble attempts thwarted by the raging Singh who held him by his now completely torn shirt. He tried to extricate himself, unable to understand “Madam’s Hindi”, which was heavily accented.
Moved by his sorry plight and of his monkeys, the mob sided with Salim. Singh was vociferously supported by Mohammad Feroze and another self-proclaimed animal rights activist, Mita Rawat.
“We want the animals to be in their natural habitat. We have nothing against Salim,” said Rawat. A Friendicoes van came, picked up the monkeys and left, depriving Salim of his pets and livelihood.
“As Defence Colony was the closest, Friendicoes was the nearest possible shelter,” Feroze tells Metrolife.
Even as Singh clicked photographs of Salim and the monkeys for a Facebook page called Indian Animal Forum (IAF), Feroze got an update on his phone. A part time worker in Friendicoes, which provides help and shelter to all street animals, he was on his rounds as part of the evening shift.
“I follow the IAF page on Facebook, diligently. I saw Singh’s post with the monkey’s picture and I hurried here,” says Feroze.
IAF is an “awareness” group for animal sympathisers who help animals in despair. The administrators bring in as much awareness as possible about issues affecting animals and nature in general. People are encouraged to share posts, articles, news items and laws pertaining to flora and fauna in India.
His monkeys gone, Salim too left, no one taking note of him. Some men from the basti ask Feroze, “Would you target the people in the Nizammudin bungalows who have pet parakeets? Isn’t it true that this man is being harassed because he is helpless and poor?”
Vikram Singh a taxi driver watching the incident says, “This poor man has seven different buttons in his shirt and now he doesn’t even have those.”Feroze tells Metrolife, the monkeys are ‘safely’ in a cage in Friendicoes, waiting for the authorities and IAF to decide ‘what to do with them’.