Joggers throng Patna zoo with pass as authorities issue show-cause notice to C P Thakur
Patna,(BiharTimes): Notwithstanding protest by BJP leaders Dr C P Thakur and MLA Nitin Navin and several others as high as 1,500 people entered Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park or Patna Zoo with pass on the first day on Saturday. Besides, 500 other people visited zoo throughout the day.
The crowd was no less on Sunday, which is not a working day.
While most of the walkers/joggers welcomed the move––some of them even went on record to support the action. They condemned the BJP leaders for politicizing the issue for no rhyme or reason when all these moves have been taken on the directives of Central Zoo Authority.
However, some visitors, mostly bureaucrats and businessmen, opposed the fee and restrictions imposed on visiting certain sections of the zoo. They were upset when notwithstanding passes they were stopped from approaching an artificial lake. They immediately stepped out of gate number 2 and raised objections.
They said they wanted to do a full circle around the lake but barricades on the path was preventing them from passing by the enclosures of black bucks and giraffes.
Zoo director Nand Kishore was seen pacifying these elite bunch of protesters. He, however, allowed them to encircle the lake but with a rider that they should not disturb the animals.
But there were still some who were hell bent upon to break the rule. Led by former minister Akhlaq Ahmed, a leader of Jan Adhikar Loktantrik Party of Pappu Yadav, they dared the zoo director to stop them from entering the prohibited area.
Daring the zoo authorities to stop him Ahmed, an opposition strongman, yelled, he would break the rule everyday.
He did not stop there. “If you have the guts, arrest me. I must tell you that once the NDA forms the government in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar will not even be allowed to breathe inside the zoo. Whatever you are doing here is not correct.”
He and his handful of accomplices created scene though knowing that a sizeable crowd of mediapersons were present on the first day to do sotry.
Ahmed and his men forcefully entered the prohibited area even as the zoo director watched them helplessly. They even raised slogans when zoo employees tried to stop them.
But zoo director later told mediapersons that action would be taken against them for violating the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The entire episode has been shot on video.
The director also said that he had also sent a showcause notice to Dr C.P. Thakur, who had staged a dharna on the zoo premises on Thursday.
“We will wait for some days and if we not get any response, action will be taken against him as well,” Nand Kishore said.
However, most joggers strongly criticized the opposition leaders action.
*“I live in London and normally go to parks in my vicinity for morning walks. As per my knowledge, joggers are not permitted in the zoo anywhere in the world. Hence, I think stopping a jog in Patna zoo is also a good step as it will help the animals live a normal life,” Vibha Kumari, an NRI, who is native of Patna, was quoted in the media.
She bought a monthly pass of the zoo as she would be staying in Patna for around a month.
Shuchi Kumari, another morning walker also expressed similar views. Animals also have the right to live in their natural habitat and follow their daily routine, including certain minimum hours of sleep. Besides, a number of parks have lately come up in Patna and jogging tracks have also been developed in the vicinity of the zoo, she said.
Abhinav Sharma said the charge is very nominal. Anyone visiting Patna zoo can afford it. He said he was certainly not in favour of protesting against the system.
