Wednesday, February 6, 2008

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/825516.cms
JAIPUR: They may have been made for each other but will never be joined in holy matrimony. For the Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and animal activists, in an act of moral policing, have denied 18 dogs the right to tie the knot. The dogs were to be married under Hindu rituals on Sunday. But faced with stiff opposition from the saffron brigade and People for Animals, a Haryana-based animal protection group, the organisers — B Positive and Pink City Canine Club — developed cold feet, cancelling the event. "We have decided not to hold the marriages of dogs. We feel sorry if it in any way has hurt sentiments of anyone," said a joint statement from Puja Rathi of B Positive and Seems Sethi of Pink City Canine Club. An organiser had earlier said the marriages of nine dogs and nine bitches, who had been matched after a lucky draw, was to be solemnised under Hindu rites, including a procession, rituals and a huge feast. A special dance party had also been organised, where 50 species of dogs were to wag their tails and shake a paw. While the saffron brigade is angry about the mockery being made of Hindu sentiments, PFA (Haryana) chairman Naresh Kadyan earlier sent a letter to the Rajasthan government's resident commissioner in Delhi requesting him to stop the mass wedding as it was cruel. He also urged the commissioner to direct police to lodge an FIR against the organisers. "In my opinion, marriage of dogs is cruelty on animals," he said, adding that in the name of marriage, "people hold the front legs of the dogs against their will and force them to dance, which is cruel. The lights, noise, sound used in these kinds of events also hurt them." Though the organisers have apologised for the wedding plans, they plan to go ahead with the other events, including a beauty pageant for "unmarried dogs". Some of the other events of the dog show — aimed at popularising canine culture in the city — include a fashion show in which the designers of a Jaipur-based institute of fashion would dress the canines in evening wear, party wear, casual wear, summer wear and winter wear.

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