The other side of story of death of 7 day old child bitten by dog -- 'the hunting story!'

The other side of story of death of 7 day old child bitten by dog -- 'the hunting story!'

Last 12th we came to hear of a strange child-death from Dambulla which we have hardly heard of. It was an incident where a child 7 days old baby was bitten to death by a dog.

The above incident has taken place in a hamlet known as Galenbindunawewa, Namalpura, Aasirigama. What were the parents doing until a baby became the prey of a dog is the question that

has sprung up in the minds of those who heard of this bizarre story. The media who travelled to Aasirigama had sensed something queer. Everybody in the village were accustomed to wearing tattered clothes. Most of the males were for ever under liquor. Almost everyone was stricken by utter poverty and were totally illiterate. There were dogs here and there in groups and foul odours were emanating everywhere around the place.

The media people who went there had reported that a strange type of wretched environment enveloped the entire village. Though this death was something where everybody should be stupefied and shocked; most of them appear to feel it as something quite ordinary. When questioned from those in the village as to what this strangeness was, the majority had shown no interest to texpress heir ideas to the media as such.

The child's mother Nirosha Kumari (24) and father Sampath Kumara (28) was by the side of the body and the deceased toddler's mother had this to say: "I have 2 daughters. It's the third ... the son that we lost. It's 7 days after he was born. For all those 7 days, husband was not able to go to work. He goes to the forest to pluck 'bambara'. Plucks hornet nests, bee nests ... does hunting also. That's how we live. That evening husband went away to the jungle because the children were starving.

We live in a small wattle and daub room. I kept baby son on the mat in the middle of the room and after putting him to sleep I went to the kitchen to cook something for the 2 children and give them to eat. In our house there's only one door in the front of the house ... the back portion is closed with clay plaster. I told the elder daughter to go to our mother's house and fetch 2 'hundu's of rice to cook in the night ... that when father comes back from the jungle, will give it back. Till she came back I lit the hearth and went to the well to bring a pot of water. When I came back and poured the water into the pot and wanted to keep it on the fire, chooty duwa said that malli was burbling. Promptly I rushed to the front side. When I went inside the house a dog was eating a side of my son's head. I shouted out and and after chasing the dog, carried son and ran to Menike akka's house. I have never seen that dog. It was a white-coloured dog which had a coat of hair".

This couple has had no education even to some extent. They were very helpless people. When the dead body of the baby was kept in a neighbouring house, we went to the house and we were able to gauge the realistic situation of their lives when we set eyes on that house and the kitchen.

The majority in the village were dressed in tatters. They were rocking round the house. Many of the young and the elderly were intoxicated ... highly drunk. We could not understand whether these people had fallen into this state because of backwardness, level of education and economic problems. We made a trip to this hamlet for the purpose of inquiring into the sorrowful incident of the story of a baby being preyed upon by a dog as its meal. But we observed the manner in which most of the villagers kept silent about this incident. 

We came across a few who did not wish to reveal their name; but have had some sort of education, had a tendency towards religion and wanted to do something for society. What these people said was something which was not familiar to us. All those who heard about this death of the baby were shocked. But most of those at this hamlet seemed not to have been affected that much. It is because hunting animals is what has become the mode of earning of most people in this village ... selling them and in plucking nests of hornets and in extracting bees honey which is for their consumption. Dogs are familiarised all over the village. A kid (of a goat) or the calf of a cow cannot be started to be reared in this area because the gang of dogs would devour them. If by chance a rock-squirrel or an iguana was to be seen around, the dogs would surround it and make it their food. If not, they would drag it and give it to their master. People in this village have no other thing to do as such. There is no water to do cultivation ... no land ... no labour work. So it is to look after the children that they go hunting. The other thing is ... the moment one hears the name Aasirigama, everyone knows that this is a village where hunters are. So it is not good for others in the village and children who are being brought up. These things cannot be explained ... because they are not educated. They live like animals. From morning till night they are drunk. Most of them have not got accustomed to living a proper life. Nobody even care to come here and put them on the right track. Even if the police come ... or any other government officer comes ... it is to order some flesh for a birthday party or some other party ... to fetch game. A kilo of wild meat is given at the price of Rs. 300.

The reason for this incident which tears one's heart apart being reported from our village is this hunting business. We plead from the authorities ... please, in the name of this baby who died, halt this immoral animal hunting and launch some procedure where they can earn a living and make the children who do not go to a school to get that education in a school". 

The opinion of most of those in the village was that the crime concerned had been committed by a dog which has been trained to go hunting. If not, no dog which is reared in a home would take a human being as its meal.

Dambulla -- K.K. Ariyadasa