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IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE IN DELHI
MONKEYS, MONKEYS, EVERYWHERE!
By M H Ahsan
NEW DELHI: The nation's capital is always on high alert for possible terror attacks. But these days, the city is besieged with other worries. From well-fortresses places such as the President's House and ministerial bungalows, to public places like courts, temples, and markets, Delhi's millions of citizens are now on guard against a most inhuman threat - marauding bands of monkeys that are assaulting humans in attacks that have turned chilling in recent months.
On recent October morning, the deputy mayor of Delhi, S S Bajwa, died after being attacked by several monkeys while on the terrace of his house in a residential area of East Delhi.
Last month a rogue monkey, over one night, attacked and injured at least 25 people, including children and one woman seriously, at a residential colony, again in east Delhi.
At the time, wild rumors circulated about a disguised serial killer roaming at large. It turned out the deranged animal was distressed about being separated from his family brood.
To gauge the fear factor consider a petrified Priyanka Gandhi, daughter of Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, who reportedly called up civic authorities recently when a monkey strayed into her house at the New Delhi bungalow region, a particular favorite of the simians due to the greenery and open areas. Priyanka is the mother of two young children.
And it's not as if monkeys in Delhi, estimated to number anywhere between 10,000 to 25000, have not been in the news in the past.
There have been some unfortunate biting incidents and belongings snatched from pedestrians, but talk has generally been affectionate scolding for the monkey's "naughty", but usually tolerated behavior.
Delhi has always contained a fair sprinkling of cows and monkeys, considered as sacred by the pre-dominantly Hindu community. The animals have freely roamed the roads and elsewhere for years.
Among the many gods that Hindus worship are the elephant god Ganesh and monkey god Hanuman, considered as the embodiment of strength. The female cow is referred to as mata (mother) due to the milk she gives. In the past, the presence of monkeys, in this case, rhesus monkeys have been cited as a positive example of peaceful co-existence in Delhi.
Local media has reported with relish in the past about monkeys in the big ministerial complexes that adjoin the President's House which supposedly ran off with secret files - as well as lunch boxes - from the federal Home and Defense ministries.
Frustrated and embarrassed, the government began employing the services of a bigger monkey species called white languors and tied them up in strategic points around large important buildings.
The languors have been quite effective at keeping the rhesus marauders at bay, although the highly intelligent rhesus monkeys have realized their foes are tied and have begun working around them. Now officials are varying the length of the leash to keep things interesting.
Any Indian visiting a temple can vouch for monkeys, carefully coached by enterprising locals, who specialize in running off with ladies' handbags as well as spectacles, mobile phones and more.
The larcenous monkey's modus operandi is clever. It sits at a vantage point and observes his owner's bargaining, then promptly swings into action once money (the monkeys can distinguish between paper notes and coins) changes hands.
All of this is taken in good spirit, as Indians are known to be tolerant towards animals - especially cows, monkeys and elephants - just so long as they don't cause trouble. The packs of street dogs that abound are loved and pampered, without any religious connotations.
However, Delhi's rapid urbanization, deforestation, frenetic construction and exponential rise in traffic, has created an acute conflict between man and beast, and prompted stress and abnormal behavior from both.
Along with increased population numbers, wildlife experts point to the destruction of natural habitat as a root cause of the increased over-crowding.
The approximately 50,000 cows and buffalos that stroll along Delhi's bustling roadways are also a major nuisance now, causing innumerable accidents. There have been incidents of bulls goring people to death, while street dogs have attacked and killed children.
In 2005, frustrated with the government's lack of action on the matter, the Delhi court announced a cash prize equivalent to US$50 for every cow caught and delivered to an appointed government agency.
The move created a rush of vigilante "cowboys" that ultimately backfired: there was no way of ensuring that the captured cows were strays belonging to the city. Also, animal rights activists quickly pointed out the inhumane treatment of the animals.
But perhaps the monkeys have it worst of all. The small brown primates, which can reach a weight of some 12 kilograms, have nowhere to go and nothing to eat as once-abundant trees have been cut in the name of development.
In the recent past, Delhi courts have issued strictures to civic authorities, following appeals by residents, to rid the city of the monkey menace. In fact, many lawyers and their clients have been bitten by monkeys inside various courtrooms themselves.
A police officer, pestered by residents, was recently quoted as saying that officials were helpless because of wildlife protection statutes. Also, if a monkey does unfortunately get killed or injured in the process, it could create a religious furor that no political party in India would like to tackle.
Now, the Delhi government has woken up to the alarming monkey attacks and allocated a budget of US$254,000 to snare them. According to official figures, about 750 monkeys have been caught in the capital this year and released in nearby forests.
Still, there is a huge task at hand given that the government has only five official "monkey catchers" assigned to deal with the growing simian population.
Yet, perhaps for the first time, the High Court has applauded recent suppression efforts and praised the Delhi government for selecting a sparsely populated mining area as a sanctuary for the anti-social apes.
In the end, it is not only Delhi's street animals that are fighting for space. Humans are displaying their own intolerance, with road rage becoming a major problem for harassed Delhi commuters.
Police estimate there are over 10,000 road rage incidents, ranging from verbal abuse to physical threats, taking place in Delhi each day.
Recently two people were killed in violent confrontations on the roads of Delhi. A property consultant was pulled out of his car by a mob of motorcycle riders and beaten to death. A father of two was killed for pulling in front of an oncoming motorcyclist.
And, only this week, in an unprecedented incident two young schoolboys allegedly shot a classmate to death at an upscale school in technology hub Gurgaon, just outside of Delhi.
Given the uncivilized behavior of human city dwellers, it's intriguing to consider just who is to blame for the rash of recent attacks: is it the monkeys, or man?
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