A Reflection on Ethics, Empathy, and Our Shared Cultural Heritage

Swati Pandey

Counseling Psychologist | Co-Founder, Sync In Self |

Founder & CEO, Nodes and the Moon | 

Mental Health Strategist | Holistic Healing Advocate |

 Leadership Consultant

 the soil of Kumawas village, Jhunjhunu, was stained. Not by ritual, not by monsoon

Over 25 stray dogs were shot down in cold daylight by men on bikes. Not out of rabies panic. Not out of hunger. But out of… what?
Fear?
Power?
Entertainment?
Apathy?
Does it matter?
Because whatever the reason, the truth is we failed the voiceless. And somewhere, we failed ourselves.

A Culture That Once Bowed to Life
This is the land where even a peepal tree gets tied with a rakhi. Where cows are mothers. Snakes are worshipped. Dogs guard Shiva’s temples.
So how did we get here? Where men with guns become self-proclaimed population controllers, and compassion becomes an inconvenience.
Is it modern stress?
Is it ignorance dressed as authority?
Is it the death of cultural memory?
Whatever it is, this is not just animal cruelty. This is a rupture in our collective psyche.

What Psychology Knows (But Society Forgets)
Empathy is not soft. It has evolved. To see pain in another, to care without reward—this is civilization. Empathy fatigue, however, is real. Overcrowded cities. Unchecked fear. No education on coexistence. When you feel powerless for too long, you pick a target more powerless than you.

This is how violence begins: not in rage, but in disconnect. And that disconnect? It is more dangerous than a gun.
Law, But Make It Moral
India has laws. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Arms Act. They’re not decorative. The man responsible, Shyochand Bavariya, has been booked.

But the question is, will the law be loud enough to echo into the hearts of others who might think of doing the same?
Laws can punish. But only culture can protect. And our culture once said, “Sarve bhavantu sukhinah”—Let all beings be happy.
The Sacred, Betrayed
We’re in Shravan, friend. The month of Shiva. Of rain. Of reverence. And yet dogs, the vahan of Bhairav, were slaughtered.
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If that doesn’t disturb your spirit, then maybe it’s time we ask: What are we really practicing in the name of religion? Rituals without ethics are just noisy hypocrisies. Let that sink in.
What We Must Do: Starting Now
This week, in us, let there be no numbing. Let outrage not expire in 48 hours.
Here’s how we reclaim what was lost:
Educate Emotionally: Include animal welfare and emotional intelligence in school curriculums.
Enforce Strictly: Demand justice and accountability. Cruelty must cost.
Return to Roots: Revive traditional reverence. Let Bhairav’s dogs remind us we’re not apex predators: we’re cohabitants.
Talk About It: Bring this into homes, classrooms, temples, panchayats, and tea stalls.
Because this isn’t just about dogs. It’s about us. Who we’re becoming. Who we refuse to become.
Ask Yourself:
What would your inner Bhairav say to a world that forgets how to bow to life?
Reply and tell us. We’re listening. And we’re building a community that remembers.
With fierce truth and quiet mourning,
-Swati.