Dog at the door of democracy

Every dog has its day, the sages say. One such dog indeed had its day early this week-and not at a neighbourhood park or a pet spa, but at the august precincts of the supreme temple of democracy: Parliament.

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For the first time in living memory, a member of the canine species came close to enjoying parliamentary privilege, albeit only in the premises and not on the plush carpets inside. No, the little fellow didn't sneak in. Nor did he wander in following the smell of political fireworks. He arrived in full style, trotting beside Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury-though not as her pet. In fact, he wasn't her dog at all. She had simply rescued him on the way, finding herself suddenly responsible for a creature she could neither abandon on the street nor safely take home, given that she did not even know whether he had been vaccinated.