‘Compassion, not control’: Maneka Gandhi criticises SC order on stray animals, calls it impractical

Branding the Supreme Court’s recent directive to remove and relocate stray animals to shelter homes as “impractical,” animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi on Thursday called for adopting a more compassionate and humane approach towards the country’s stray population.

The former Union minister was addressing the media while announcing the first edition of CineKind, a collaboration between the Film Federation of India (FFI) and People for Animals (PFA), to honour acts of kindness and humane storytelling in Indian cinema.

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“The Supreme Court says remove the dog, remove the cat, remove the monkey, put it in a shelter, sterilise it, but no one can actually do this…it is impractical,” Gandhi said, while also criticising the lack of coordination among civic bodies. “Compassion, not control, should guide India’s approach to animals,” she said.

Last week, the Supreme Court, expressing concern over the increasing number of dog bite cases in public places such as schools, hospitals, bus terminals, and railway stations, directed officials to relocate stray dogs to authorised shelter homes. The court further instructed agencies, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to clear highways and expressways of stray animals and cattle to ensure public safety.

Announcing that the first edition of the CineKind Awards will be held in Kolkata on December 20, the former Union minister said that from next year, the awards will be organised in October at a new location. “CineKind will give awards every year to the most compassionate films. It will be held every year in October. Films shape India’s culture and influence people. It is important to involve the entire film industry,” she said.

“When we watch a film, we laugh, we cry — we live the story. But imagine a story that asks: What about the voiceless? What about the creatures who share this world but cannot speak for themselves? With CineKind, we want to shine a light on those stories. Every picture, every scene that honours kindness matters,” she went on to add.

Recalling the era when animals were widely used in films, Gandhi noted that they often endured significant suffering because there were no proper regulations in place to protect them. “There was a time when cows, horses, and tigers used in movies would die during filming. Tigers were sedated, their teeth and claws pulled out,” she said.

“The Animal Welfare Board of India later worked with filmmakers to establish strict norms. Now, it’s time for self-regulation and renewed commitment,” she said.

The awards will be given under ten categories, including the CineKind Compassion Award, the highest honour for works that embody kindness through cinema; the Director of Change Award for filmmakers promoting care for animals or the environment; and the Actor for Kindness Award for actors advocating humane values.

Other categories include Cinematic Impact Award for Animal Welfare, Kindness in Frame Award, Voice for the Voiceless Award, Innovation for Compassion Award, Visual Storyteller for Animals Award, Guardians of Kindness Award, and Humane Influence Award.