Mysore Varsity move sparks outrage; Maneka Gandhi urges Vice-Chancellor to take humane approach

Mysuru:  The University of Mysore, custodian of the picturesque Kukkarahalli Lake, has enforced a ban on feeding dogs, birds and aquatic beings within the Lake premises. Signboards have been installed at the Lake’s entrances to communicate the ban, which also prohibits the entry of pet animals.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from animal activists, who have labelled it a blatant violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Animal Birth Control Rules and Supreme Court guidelines.

While the University has said that this action was taken on account of public representations expressing concerns about the growing stray dog population within the Lake, activists argue that the move disregards legal frameworks and ethical responsibilities toward animal welfare.

Outraged by the ban, activists have sought the intervention of former Union Environment Minister and prominent animal rights advocate Maneka Gandhi. Letters of protest have also been sent to Mysore University Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath, urging him to reconsider the decision. Additionally, copies of the letters have been forwarded to Star of Mysore.

According to animal rights activists Neeraja Rajesh, R. Nandana and yoga student Ann Lee, the University must allow feeders to peacefully resume their welfare work, which has been carried out without any assistance from or financial burden on the Mysuru City Corporation or the University of Mysore.

“The signboards ban the feeding of the 70-odd stray dogs that call the 150-acre Lake property their home. This ban is a blatant violation of laws. Feeding stray dogs is legal,” they stated.

“The concerted attempt appears to be to starve these dogs until they abandon their territories out of sheer desperation. Such actions, aimed at driving the dogs out of the Lake, amount to illegal relocation and will instigate human-animal conflicts. Their lives are endangered because their treatments cannot continue if they are not fed. Starving these animals is a breach of our constitutional duties,” they argued.

Only those who are bitten by stray dogs over the past years, primarily because of some animal lovers feeding these stray dogs and birds, know the pain and suffering as a result of the menace of stray dogs while they take their morning walk in the Lake premises. — An octogenarian morning walker, who wishes to remain anonymous