From the end of last month, farmers in North Indian states are dealing with the problem of locusts. Swarms of desert locusts have destroyed crops in states of Rajasthan, Harayana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra. Ever since the news of locusts broke out, we saw all sorts of funny reactions on Twitter too. Some made videos of the dangerous swarms, others made funny videos picking on the insects. Among them, a video of a locust being attached to a pulley toy has been shared on social media. It is made in the spirit of "fun" but it is a thing to question, whether an insect's torture can be termed as fun? At a time when we enrage ourselves on the heinous crimes against animal cruelty, how do we enjoy the torture of another insect? No, there's no doubt that these insects are responsible for damage of acres of crops. But a right way of killing them is using insecticides, which has been taken in several parts of the country. Locust Swarm Attacks North India: Scary Pics and Videos of 'Tiddi Dal' From Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh Worry Farmers.

A video shared online shows a locust being attached to a pulley-like toy made of matchsticks. It is attached with small wheels and as the locust moves ahead, it pulls the toy along. It is made to reiterate, that as the insects destroy crops, they will be used to plough the fields. Seems fun? But is it? By laughing at such videos, we encourage the ideas of mistreating animals (pardon, insects). If this video makes you laugh today and you pass it along, it also conveys that you are okay with cruelty. The videos of firecrackers being attached to a dog's tail and laughed on as entertainment stems up from these ideas of torturing animals for sadistic pleasure. And are we even past mourning, the death of a pregnant elephant in Kerala after eating a pineapple laden with crackers?

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Authorities in many regions have taken the measures of spraying pesticides on these insects. In some places, people resorted to banging utensils, playing police sirens, music to distract and shoo away these insects. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh used drones to spray insecticides on the fields. These are the measures that are right and need to be taken and are being taken too. But how does using a locust to "plough a field" makes a difference to the larger crisis at hand? To give another example, because you eat chicken, would agree to burst a cracker in its mouth and let it die because it has to die for its meat anyway? If the answer to that is yes, you are a part of the problem. There has been a spike in the recent case of cruelty, with the killing of leopard and celebrating it in Assam or a pregnant cow in Himachal Pradesh meeting the same unfaithful death like the elephant in Kerala.

We have rage within us which we express online and it is valid, but what's also important is to address it even in such small matters. We as responsible people, need to start realising that often such videos stem in the idea of our superiority over animals/insects or any other living being in general. We cannot establish it as a means of torture. We need to nip it in the bud before it evolves into an act of animal cruelty someday, where we can selectively express outrage over.

 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 10, 2020 01:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).