National Pet Day 2023: Why dog haters must read Sudha Murty's Gopi Diaries

Sudha Murty wrote 'The Gopi Diaries' between 2021 and 2023.

Infosys cofounder NR Narayana Murthy remembers being bitten by a dog when he was a young boy - a misadventure that led to further pain in the form of 14 injections to the stomach. The result: Murthy didn't immediately warm to the family pet Gopi, a golden retriever, when he came to the family in 2018. Sudha Murty captures this in her semi-autobiographical children's book series The Gopi Diaries.

A prolific writer in English and Kannada, Murty captures Gopi's shenanigans over the three books in the series - from the time he was born to when he has kids of his own, and wins a medal for his heroics (spoiler alert: he chases a phone snatcher who then tries to turn quickly, and in his panic, falls off his two-wheeler).

Illustration by Sandhya Prabhat for The Gopi Diaries: Finding Love by Sudha Murty, published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

While geared towards children, the books make for an interesting read for grown-ups too. For one thing, written during the pandemic, the books serve as a time capsule. Sample this: A puppy Gopi wonders why everyone is worried about him picking up "Coronabatrus" off the streets - a throwback to a time when the fear of surface transmission was still high.

Surface transmission refers to transfer of infected droplets from an ill person to inanimate objects like lift buttons and door handles, from where they may be picked up by multiple healthy individuals. Scientists have since found that the risk of Covid transmission through infected surfaces is minuscule. This was also a time (2021) when scientists weren't entirely sure of how susceptible animals were to the disease.

Coming back to Gopi. As the title suggests, Murty writes the books in the style of a diary - sans dates. Meaning, incidents small and big are recorded in a matter-of-fact chronological way. There are visits to the vet, training to sit and roll over, grooming, walks, mayhem when Gopi learns how to turn on the shower in the bathroom, and when he falls in love with a neighbourhood dog Nova who comes to swim at the same pool for dogs. Naturally, Gopi is part of the goings-on in Murthy family and is there when there's a wedding in the family, when family visit from abroad and when the first book in The Gopi Diaries is launched.

Among the many things that go on in the books, is the sub-narrative of how Narayan Murthy and Gopi become closer over the months. These are the cues that dog haters could perhaps take heart from.

How does that compute?

Changing behaviours and perceptions is among the hardest things to do. But for someone who wants to question their fear or dislike of dogs, Murthy could be a great role model.

Sample these two segments; the first is from Book 1, and the second occurs towards the end of Book 2:

He (Murthy) turned to the Ajjis (grandmas) and said with hesitation, 'When I was a little boy, I was bitten by a dog. I had to get fourteen injections in the stomach because of that. They were so painful and I remember them to this day. That is why I am afraid of dogs and I don't want to touch him. But I'll enjoy seeing him from a distance.

The Gopi Diaries by Sudha Murty, published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

Notable here is Murthy's willingness to see "from a distance". What he sees over the weeks and months convinces him to stop seeing all dogs through the lens of that one horrific childhood incident. Towards the end of Book 2, Murty writes:

Ajja (grandpa - Murthy) leaned close and said, 'I always thought dogs were ferocious. They don't understand us. Slowly, after spending time with you (Gopi) for over a year, I have realized that you are so much like humans... When I come home and see your face, I feel content and the stresses of my day melt away... I wish I had learned this before. Then I would have brought someone like you to my house forty years ago!

And if dog dislikers still need more convincing to revisit their dislike of dogs, perhaps seeing photos of the family with Gopi - at the end of the books - could help?