Who Let The Dog Out, Stories from Kashmir #Indian_Army

WHO LET THE DOG OUT

Major Sarkar's company located near Ramban played a key role in maintaining peace and tranquility in an erstwhile sensitive area. The patrols kept the miscreants at bay and instilled confidence in the local population.

Major Sarkar, himself a thorough gentleman, had made good friends in the area and he was liked and respected by all. However, his reputation was put to test recently through a minor incident of Dog bite.

A stray dog moving behind one of the patrols happened to attack and bite one boy named Akhtar. Major Sarkar's men chased the dog away and took Akhtar to their post and administered first aid. The boy was safely handed over to his parents alongwith medicines. This should have been the logical end of the small story. But that was not to be. Sarkar received a call from Sub Inspector Sheikh the same evening saying that an FIR had been lodged by Akhar's father that his son had been bitten by an Army Dog.

Sarkar, a battle hardened soldier was un-fazed by the preposterous allegation. He drove upto the police station and explained the matter. The local shopkeepers who were witness to the entire episode, confirmed Sarkar's statement. Sheikh reprimanded Akhtar's father, who broke down and said that he was asked to lodge the FIR by the head of local madrasa.

End of the story. No!

The same dog, the very next day, again walking behind a foot patrol from Sarkar's Company, happened to attack and bite Farida Begum, an old lady who sold vegetables in the market. Sarkar's boys gave a chase to the dog and killed him. That the dog had been killed was not known to the madarsa head who himself had come to the Deputy Commissioner's office the next day with a complaint, that the Army unit were targetting his community members through a well thought of plan under which they were feeding and training the disease infected dogs.

Major Sarkar got a report from the Deputy Commissioner Office and Sarkar asked the DC to hold the Madarsa head in his office till he had arrived.

In DC's office, in presence of Major Sarkar the gentleman went ahead with his rhetoric of Army being against his community. He alleged again that it was a specially trained Army Dog.

`Very well Shahabuddin Sahab' said Major Sarkar politely. `We have taken action on your complaint. We caught the dog yesterday, court martialled him for repeated grave offences and awarded him death sentence”. He added “and I have brought the dead body of the accused as evidence”.

There was a smile on Deputy Commissioner's face and Sahabuddin's face, was for the first time; expressionless. The Dog of propaganda had finally bitten the dust .