The fame of Mudhol Hound shoots up after PM Modi names it in his 'Mann Ki Baat'
Bagalkot: Mudhol hound; the native canine breed has already made waves among dog lovers for its amazing sniffing skills, exemplary obedience and inimitable hunting capacity with agility, but after the mention of its name by Prime Minister Narendrea Modi in his latest ‘Mann ki Baat’ series, it has added another feather in the crown of this ‘Desi’ breed.
During his recent address in ‘Mann ki baat’, Modi had not only praised the services of Indian breed of dogs, but had also appealed to people to adopt Indian dogs over the foreign breed.
Taking names of some of the known Indian breed of dogs, he had mentioned Mudhol hound also in his speech.
This breed of dog could run at the speed of around 50 km/hour, and could sniff any object from the distance of 3 km. This ability has grabbed the attention of the Armed Forces which have shown interest in absorbing this native canine breed in their service.
The Mudhol hound has its own history. Sources said that the dogs were used by Maratha King, Chhatrapati Shivaji during the wars.
The names given to the dog as ‘Mudhol’ after the erstwhile princely state of Mudhol, which was part of the Bombay Presidency during British rule. The last king of the state, King Malojirao Ghorpade said to have presented a pair of these puppies to King George V when he visited the UK and it was the English emperor who names the dogs as Mudhol hounds.
Mudhol hound is being raised at Canine Research and Information Centre (CRIC) in Mudhol taluk of Bagalkot district. The lone such centre in the country that is dedicated to the raising of Mudhol hounds, comes under Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU), Bidar.
After knowing its different hunting and sniffing skills, the Indian Army has already adopted the breed for various acts including detecting explosives or in Naxal-affected areas of the country.
The Army has made these dogs undergo vigorous training that lasts for around nine-month training at the Remount Veterinary Corp in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
These dogs are serving in border areas of India, including Kashmir and Rajasthan. Besides the armed forces, even police departments of States such as Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have taken Mudhol dogs for security.
The Army is already using different breeds of dogs including Labrador, German Shepherd, and Belgian Shepherd for security purposes. However, the officials of the centre believe that Mudhol hound is better compared to other dogs in sniffing and running abilities. These abilities of the dog promoted the armed forces to adopt Mudhol hounds.
After the Armed Forces, even the elite security agency of the country; the National Security Guard (NSG), the country’s premier counter-terrorism force, showed interest in the breed and took some puppies for training and adopting in their service.
Besides the centre, even the local farmers also raise the puppies for additional earning. These puppies are purchased largely by farmers to protect their crop against stray animals or security of farm houses. Some raise it as pets at their homes.
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'War no solution, terrorists must be hunted down': Raj Thackeray
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said war was not a solution to the problem of terrorism, and the government should give priority to finding the perpetrators of terror attacks.
On a day Indian armed forces carried out missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, he said the government must be questioned about why a terror attack could take place in Pahalgam in the first place.
"War is no answer to a terrorist attack. In the US, they (terrorists) toppled the Twin Towers, attacked the Pentagon. The US did not wage a war. They killed those terrorists," said the MNS chief, speaking to reporters here.
"You have not found the terrorists who attacked (tourists in Pahalgam). Why there was no security in a place where thousands of tourists are going for the last many years? It is more important to carry out a combing operation inside our country and find them out. The airstrike, distracting people....this, war can not be the solution," he added.
Instead of Wednesday's planned mock drill of Civil Defence, a "combing operation" should be carried out all over the country, Thackeray further said.
Criticizing what he called a misplaced show of strength, Thackeray said, "There seems to be a desire to create a war-like situation in another country. Now we see mock drills and sirens (going off). But we need to ask the fundamental question, why did this (attack in Pahalgam on April 22 in which 26 civilians were killed) happen in the first place?"
He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his itinerary in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. "The prime minister was in Saudi Arabia when this (terror attack) happened, and he returned early, only to go to Bihar for campaigning. That was not necessary. He went to Kerala for the inauguration of Adani's port and later came to Mumbai for the WAVES function. If the situation was so grave, all this could have been avoided," said the MNS chief who had backed Modi during the 2024 general elections.
The government's failures need to be pointed out, Thackeray said, adding the country does not need a symbolic response. "Find the terrorists, dismantle their networks, and tackle the drug menace that is spreading through our streets," he said.
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