Nadia: A newborn abandoned in the cold in a railway workers’ colony in Nabadwip, Nadia district, survived the night after a pack of stray dogs reportedly formed a protective ring around the baby until morning. The infant, only a few hours old and still bearing traces of blood from birth, had been left on the bare ground outside a bathroom with no blanket, note or guardian.
Residents said the dogs neither barked nor moved away through the night, instead standing guard and preventing anyone or anything from coming too close until dawn. It was only in the early morning, after some neighbours heard faint cries, that local resident Sukla Mondal approached and the strays slowly opened their circle, allowing her to reach the child. She wrapped the baby in her dupatta and, along with other neighbours, rushed the infant first to Maheshganj Hospital and later to Krishnanagar Sadar Hospital.
Doctors found no injuries on the baby and believe the blood seen on the head was from birth, suggesting the child was abandoned shortly after delivery. Police suspect someone from the locality may have left the newborn there under cover of darkness, and Nabadwip police along with Childline and child welfare authorities have begun inquiries and initiated procedures for the child’s long-term care.
The episode has left residents deeply moved, many remarking that the same street dogs they usually shoo away showed more compassion than whoever abandoned the child. As word spread, children in the rail colony were seen feeding biscuits to the dogs that had kept vigil, with locals calling the incident a reminder that protection and empathy can sometimes come from the most unexpected places.
(Inputs from PTI)