9/11 And After

TODAY is 9/11. One year ago on this day, terrorists struck at the heart of the United States of America, a country which was usually thought as impenetrable for terrorists to create havoc in a large scale manner. When jet planes commandeered by terrorists slammed into the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., it was an incident straight out of Hollywood movies.The world was stunned and grieved with America on this mindless violence that claimed thousands of lives. After the shock came the quick response. The United States, led by President Bush, swung into action. Afghanistan, the theatre from where masterminds of this bout of terrorism functioned, soon saw the United States descend there to flush out the terrorists and the Afghan regime that supported them. The collapse of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan was a natural corollary to the hunt for Al-Qaida supporters operating from there. It was a measure of the international shock at the 9/11 events in the States that the world opinion was firmly supporting those fighting the terror.

The new international resolve to neutralise terrorism was much reflected in the success of the United States to get most of the countries on its side when President Bush declared the war on terrorism. Many countries fighting their own big and small battles against violence and terrorism were quick to lend their voice to the chorus against terrorism. Nepal was one of them. Moral support to the United States' one-point mission to hunt down the terrorists in Afghanistan came swiftly from Nepal which was no stranger to mindless violence by the Maoists. When the Maoists broke off the peace talks and resumed violence in November, the government had no choice but to declare them terrorists and respond in kind. In the new atmosphere of international coalition against terrorism, it was but natural that the government's actions against the Maoists has over the months not only received moral but also material support from neighbours and western countries who want peace restored to the country. The big attacks by Maoists over the past few days on security personnel that has claimed scores of lives can only strengthen the resolve of the government and bolster the support of Nepal's friends against this senseless bloodshed. Globally too, the fight against terrorism can only intensify as countries come together in a new sense of commitment to eradicate this scourge following the 9/11 acts of carnage.

Sterilising Male Dogs

TO control the number of stray dogs in the streets of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City, the concerned authorities, as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, have been running a dog sterilisation programme since the last three months. Dog-catchers, armed with gunny sacks, roam the city's streets to nab the stray mongrels to be sterilised by veterinary doctors at the Jhamsikhel-located Patan Veterinary Clinic. Similarly, the programme, run in collaboration with the Spay Neuter Programme of the Rotary Club of Gwinnet County, USA, aims to sterilise 525 male dogs whereas the streets of this sub-metropolitan city are said to be the homes of an estimated 10,000 mutts. Though the target, as compared with the estimated number of dogs roaming at will in the streets of Lalitpur city, can be said to be minuscule, an undeniable fact is that nature has endowed canines with the ability to proliferate at a remarkable rate. Hence, if these over 10,000 mutts are allowed to breed indiscriminately, this City of Fine Arts could be forced to bear the unpalatable-and, undoubtedly, excruciating-burden of having to give shelter to more dogs than humans. Unpalatable in that stray dogs, apart from being a general nuisance to all the Lalitpur city's denizens by their irritating antics, especially in and around garbage bins and disposal places, are also the carriers of zoonotic diseases, the most common and dangerous being rabies. And excruciating in that physically eliminating these mongrels, apart from being universally viewed as inhuman in nature and method, does go against the ingrained socio-cultural and religious ethos of the Nepalese. For a dog, to the majority of the people, is verily looked upon as a messenger of the God of Death, Lord Yamaraj and a day is specially set aside during the five-day festival of Tihar to worship the dog. Furthermore, many Nepalese are familiar with the story of King Yudhistir, of the Mahabharat fame, who flatly refused the offer to ascend to heaven when the dog that accompanied him through his many ordeals was denied entry. Hence, considering the qualms among the Nepalese to exterminate the stray dogs, the ongoing programme in Lalitpur city to sterilise male dogs can be termed as the best available option. Since the problems arising from stray dogs are definitely not confined to Lalitpur city alone, other cities too need to follow Lalitpur city's lead to control stray dogs' population.