Why India Protects Foreign Dogs and Expels Its Own A Cultural Study of Urban Modernity Colonial Memory and Street Dogs

This paper examines the debate surrounding indigenous street dogs in India through a Cultural Studies framework. While Indian dogs sometimes receive appreciation abroad as symbols of calmness and companionship, many street dogs within Indian cities are perceived as threats or civic burdens. This contradiction reveals deeper cultural tensions shaped by colonial hierarchies, class aspiration, urban modernity, and selective ethical memory. Referring to the episode of Yudhishthira and the dog in the Mahabharata, the paper argues that responsibility toward dependent beings forms part of India’s moral inheritance. However, rapid urban transformation and aspirations toward global modernity have intensified demands for spatial regulation and visual order. By situating the street dog debate within broader negotiations of belonging, governance, and symbolic value, this study demonstrates that the issue reflects unresolved tensions within India’s understanding of development. The paper proposes an integrated framework combining public health, humane governance, waste management reform, and civic education to enable sustainable coexistence.