10,000-odd birds face starvation with a ban on entry of people who feed them.
As many as 10,000 pigeons have become ‘endangered’ on the high court premises, following a February 25 order restricting the entry of the public from the main gate. The closure of the main gate means visitors, who used to come to the court premises primarily to feed pigeons and other birds, cannot be able to do so.
Surya Ratan, who owns a granite shop, said he has been feeding pigeons for the past 10 years. “I haven’t been sleeping till 3 am since I stopped feeding pigeons. Badi takleef hoti hai. Unko bhi jeene ka hak hai (It worries me a lot. They too have a right to life),” he said.
At least 300 men and women from all walks of life used to come here to feed pigeons. Representatives of Jain temples would bring grains in gunny bags to feed birds. But now, they are greeted with a signboard with a message banning their entry and policemen stationed there.
Why this ban? The action had been initiated as bird excreta was disfiguring the building and the birdfeed also attracted rats and other rodents. The rodents were destroying documents in the building. It is said that attempts were made earlier to get rid of pigeons, but in vain.
Two places in the Cubbon Park are being suggested as alternative spots for bird lovers. “One is near the UB City entrance and other one is near library. The first is a traffic zone, where it is not possible to feed birds. At the second place, there are pigeons already. There is no way pigeons visiting the high court premises will migrate; they are more likely to perish,” added Ratan.
AP Raju, former president of Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, said pigeons eat after sunrise, not after sunset.
“It’s our request to the court authorities to lift the ban on feeding pigeons, otherwise they will die,” he said. If it is a question of security, the visitors who feed birds could be issued identity cards, he said.
The bird lovers had conducted a signature campaign and 108 had responded. They appealed to the high court registrar to consider their demand. However, their request was turned down. Now, the bird lovers are pinning their hopes on the chief justice.
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