Unfortunate Pooch Demoted to the Ghetto
A well-to-do dog from a rich family was ousted from his luxurious life and sent wobbling to the ghetto after he accidentally ate food from an untouchable woman.
Meet Sheru, a black German shepherd previously owned by Rampal Singh, a rich farmer with a penchant for snobbery and discrimination.
Sheru was roaming the streets in boredom—unlike in other countries, dogs in India are sometimes allowed to roam free—when he stumbled on Sanita Jatav, a poor Indian Dalit (or untouchable) who was at the time eating lunch with her husband.
Sanita thought Sheru was cute, so she offered him a roti, which is an unleavened flatbread eaten by nearly all Indians, including this one (wink wink).
Sheru’s owner, Rampal, saw the transaction and immediately threw a fit. “Cobbler woman, how dare you feed my dog with your roti!” he exclaimed.
To add insult to injury, Rampal then hired a judge to ex-communicate Sheru from his family and force Sunita to adopt him, lest she be fined 15,000 Rupees ($332). Sunita fought back by contacting local authorities, but there is likely nothing that either she or Sheru can do to rectify this situation.
Suffice it to say, it’s a hard knock life for Indians—humans and dogs alike—either born or forced into a lower caste.
By V Saxena on 01-10-2010
V Saxena
