Mumbai: Around 85 dogs living on the 280-acre Kalina campus of the University of Mumbai have been going hungry for the past 10 days as the university administration has prevented dog-feeders from entering the campus and feeding the strays, according to a complaint filed by Nitin Nanavare, secretary of the Maharashtra state unit of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena.
“After we were stopped from entering the campus, dog lovers from inside the university informed us that the dogs were not doing well and appeared weak. Most dog feeders had identity cards issued by government authorities and the university could verify their identity cards and allow them to feed the dogs at designated spots, he added. Nanavare alluded to these concerns in his complaint and demanded that the university immediately restore food and water arrangements for the dogs.
Dog feeders who used to visit the university premises regularly said that the administration had been preventing their entry since August 25. He sought concrete action within 24 hours and warned that his organisation could launch a protest if the issue was not resolved.
“This is not just an administrative mistake but a serious and inhuman issue,” he stated in the complaint, copies of which have been sent to the governor, state higher education officials, the Mumbai police and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner. A university campus is not only a place of learning but should also reflect values such as sensitivity, coexistence and social responsibility, Nanavare said, seeking an urgent inquiry into the matter and strict action against officials responsible for stopping the food supply. We are requesting the university authorities to allow us to feed the dogs,” the person said. An official from MU, however, said that while the university had been complying with orders pertaining to stray dogs issued by the Supreme Court and the union government from time to time, the feeding of dogs on campus had not been stopped.
In a letter to the university vice-chancellor on Sunday, Nanavare alleged that even a nonprofit which regularly provided food to the dogs has been stopped from entering the campus.
