PETA for ban on elephants during Dasara

TNN

August 10, 2018

Mysuru, Aug 10: With just two months left, Karnataka’s flagship Dasara festival has run afoul of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, which has opposed elephants in the celebrations.

The organization will stage a dharna here on Thursday, calling for an end to the use of elephants in performances, including circuses and processions, and for tourist rides. This comes four days ahead of World Elephant Day. While officials have left the decision to the government, stakeholders in the tourism sector said Dasara is incomplete without elephants.

Dasara elephants treated well: DCF

Peta said elephants are used in the Vijayadashami procession during Mysuru Dasara.

Elephants are protected under Schedule I of The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and have been declared a national heritage animal by the central government. However, they are excluded from the list of animals banned from performances under Section 22 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

BS Prashanth, president, Mysuru Travel Agents’ Association, told TOI Dasara has been celebrated in Mysuru for over 400 years and elephants play a major role. “For two months before Dasara, elephants are given special food not available in the forest. The treatment is good,” he added.

Siddaramappa, DCF (wildlife) said: “There is no cruelty meted out to Dasara elephants. It’s a 400-year-old tradition that elephants are part of Dasara festivities. These elephants are cared for well.”

Comments

Do you think, keeping heavy weight things on elephant in noisy atmosphere is the way of treating well? ban domesticating elephants

How they can tell elephants are treated well. If some people using DCF authorities for Dasara, can accept it..! then human rights violation people start making noises. Why people are not thinking about animals

Good decision from PETA. Should ban elephants from all other states too. People are utilising elephants for thier personal use... for making money..

What rubbish DCF telling. Elephants are well treated it seems. DCF, you should realise one thing that elephants are not meant for these kind of activities. They are wild animals..

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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