Family brings elephant, horse and camel along to lodge protest at police station over treatment to kin

Gulf Today Report

People resort to all kinds of action to drive home their protest. Climate change demonstrators in the US have been defacing works by celebrated painters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Monet and van Gogh. Not long ago, Greenpeace protesters interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Liz Truss at a Tory Party conference. In India, too, there have been some unique ways of protest. A family in the north Indian state of Bihar demonstrated against the murder of a member and demanded an explanation for the draconian treatment given to the victim’s son by bringing an elephant, horse and camel to the police station.

They protested for three hours before a senior police official reached the spot and assured the victim's family that action would be taken on the issue.

A man named Munna Rai died in hospital days after being shot at by his rivals recently.

When the victim’s son reached the police station and sought action against the accused, the Station House Officer slapped him and misbehaved with him. The son informed his family what he had suffered. Enraged, the family stormed the police station with the animals in tow.

It seems odd that animals should join their clarion call for justice. The strength of protest lies perhaps in numbers, and as there were not many human beings around to vent their anger at the police and make their demands effective, the animals provided the much-needed support.