10 THE CARAVANkill these dogs.” After what appears to
be some prodding by the interviewer, he
also says, “It is a sin and the laws also
do not permit such action.” Namgial’s
response suggests that people in Spiti
are sometimes caught between the com-
passion that their faith preaches and
their urge to protect their livelihood. For
instance, Bijoor recounted that during
the Dalai Lama’s Kalachakraa lectures
in 2000 at the Kye Gompa—a well-
known Tibetan monastery—around 200
dogs were loaded onto a truck by local
people. The dogs were then transported
to Manali, because it was considered
inauspicious to kill them during a holy
event. Last year in Kibber, according to
Thinley, 33 dogs were rounded up and
killed. “They troubled us so much. Noth-
ing”—referring to livestock—“remained
last year,” he said.
Sonam Angdui, a Kibber resident, told
me during a phone conversation that
dogs were not a problem in Lahaul and
Spiti until the central government pub-
lished the Animal Birth Control Rules
(Dogs) of 2001—guidelines on the treat-
ment of stray dogs. These rules bannedthe killing of stray dogs, and instructed
municipalities across India to sterilise
and vaccinate dogs instead. “The Ani-
mal Husbandry Department used to
routinely cull dogs in the region,” he
said. After the 2001 rules, according to
Angdui, the department “washed their
hands of it.” The population of dogs in-
creased, as did attacks on livestock and
wild herbivores. Meanwhile, in Kaza,
restaurants and cafes that sustained
dogs during the summer by generating
food waste shut down in winter, cutting
off food supply for the dogs. They either
died or became aggressive, sometimes
even resorting to cannibalism. Bijoor
recounted that in February 2017, the
issue captured the attention of People
for Animals, or PFA, an animal welfare
organisation run by Maneka Gandhi,
a well-known animal-rights activist
who is currently the cabinet minister
for women and child development. PFA
contacted the local administration,
and suggested that it start feeding the
dogs in winter with the support of lo-
cal NGOs. Vikram Singh Negi, the ad-
ditional district commissioner, told mewhen we met in Kaza in July that his
office provided around R10,000 towards
the cause. “We help as much as we can,”
he said.
The Spiti Welfare Society, a women’s
self-help group in Kaza, began mak-
ing chapatis for the dogs in the winter
of 2016—a decision that irked some
locals in Kibber. Thinley appeared to
be frustrated that the administration
itself is sustaining dogs in Kaza, despite
ongoing attempts to reduce the dog
population. “Do not kill them, but why
feed them?” he said. “In smaller villages
when we try to organise sterilisation
camps, they tell us to first take care of
all the dogs in Kaza. But in Kaza, people
are encouraging the dogs.” Angdui, on
the other hand, was adamant that locals
hardly have a choice in the matter. “If
they are not fed, they become aggres-
sive and attack people,” he said. “Be-
sides, we have to show compassion.” sabove: “If they are not fed, they become
aggressive and attack people,” Angdui, a
Kibber resident, said. “Besides, we have to
show compassion.” a pack of troubles · the ledehimanshu khagta