Animal activists look forward to legislation

The Constitution of India vide Article 51A (g) enshrines and casts upon every citizen of India the duty to have compassion for all living creatures, as a Fundamental Duty. The mute cannot complain and hence the responsibility to ensure compassionate handling of animals is greater. With this in mind, the Animal Welfare Board of India created a comprehensive draft of the Animal Welfare Act, 2011. The draft was posted on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in February 2011 and suggestions and objections were welcomed. Animal lovers and activists are hopeful that 2012 will see the act come into effect.

Arpan Sharma, convener, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO), said, “We have been pushing for it to be passed for some years now. We are hopeful that it will be tabled in the Parliament in early 2012.” Some of the salient features of the draft enactment are Augmenting animal welfare and well-being; strengthening animal welfare organizations and conscientious citizens who wish to espouse the cause of animal welfare and well-being; enhancing penalties for animal abuse; altering and enlarging the definition of animal abuse, in keeping with the times and in keeping with judicial pronouncements. 

“After handing in the final cut of the draft to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in July 2011, a sudden, watered down version was circulated by someone from the ministry. The AWBI’s legal committee, (which has four lawyers), protested. We will try and ensure that the AWBI-drafted law will be enacted in 2012,” explained Anjali Sharma, legal adviser and executive committee member, AWBI.

City-based Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) was one of the organizations that sent in suggestions for the draft. “These suggestions pertained to torture, animal slaughter, animal rights and much more. We sat day and night for a month to send in these suggestions and we will be happy to see at least 20 per cent of those being incorporated. We hope that 2012 will see the Act coming into force,” said Khurshid Bhathena, honorary secretary, BWC, Pune.

Awareness among people is the key to the passing of stringent laws for the welfare of animals, feels Supriya Bose, animal welfare officer, Committee to Monitor Animal Welfare Laws in Maharashtra (appointed by the Bombay High Court) and also working with the Shri Ramanaghruha Trust, Pune. “People should be sensitised to the issue and should raise their voice against blatant cruelty to animals. Then, there will be pressure for the Act to be implemented,” she said.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Animal-activists-look-forward-to-legislation/894320/

Indian state sets up law to protect cow

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NEW DELHI, Sept 29 (Bernama) -- The western Indian state of Gujarat legislative assembly has unanimously cleared a bill to control the transportation of cattle within the state and outside to protect the cow, a holy animal in Hindu religion, says China's Xinhua news agency citing a report in The Times of India Thursday.

The Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011, specifically prevents the transportation of cow, the calf of a cow, a bull or a bullock.

The bill makes it obligatory for anyone wanting to transport the animal to obtain a permit from a new authority to be set up. The transporter will have to show that he is ferrying bovines only for agricultural or animal husbandry purpose.

States agriculture minister Dileep Sanghani said Wednesday that anyone violating the proposed law will not only face seizure of the animals and vehicles in which they are sought to be transported, but also up to seven-year imprisonment and a fine up to 50,000 rupees (US$1,000).

Now 7 years jail term for cow slaughter in Gujarat

http://news24online.com/Now-7-years-jail-term-for-cow-slaughter-in-Gujarat_News24_34317.aspx

Ahmadabad: Those who will involve in cow slaughter in Gujarat have to pay very heavy price. The state government has enacted an extremely tough measures to deal with all those involve in cow slaughter. The state assembly passed a bill in this regard on Tuesday.

According to the provisions of the bill,anybody taking cow for the purpose of slaughter would face seven years jail term.

While presenting the Gujarat Animal preservation Bill 2011,the state agricultural minister Dilip Sanghani said that the new bill will give ample teeth to law agencies to deal sternly with those who kill cow. The bill was even supported by the congress.

2 more bills passed, Gujarat Assembly session ends

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The two-day monsoon session of the state assembly concluded on Tuesday with the passing of two bills — the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011, and the Bombay Inams (Kutch Area) Abolition (Repeal) Bill, 2011.

The session started at 8.30am and continued till 3pm. However, it was not that lively as it was on Monday. There were not many exciting questions asked and Congress MLAs didn't seem to be in mood to create any storm. Agriculture and animal husbandry minister Dileep Sanghani presented the Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 2011 in the House.

After discussion, the bill was passed unanimously. Leader of the opposition Shaktisinh Gohil said in his speech that the state government had been compelled to bring in the amendment bill because of pressure from Maldhari community and religious saints and leaders. "The government should look into the roots of the issue of cow slaughter. The government should take the grazing lands back, which have been given to its favourite people almost for free, and give it back to people associated with animal husbandry and also Maldhari community. People are compelled to sell their cattle because of helplessness to feed the animals, as there are no natural sources like grazing land," he said.

From the BJP, Radhanpur MLA Shankar Chaudhary, Gadhada MLA Atmaram Parmar, Jethabhai Bharwad and Mafat Purohit took part in the discussion. From the Congress, Ramsinh Parmar and other MLAs participated in the discussion.

GPCC president and Porbandar MLA Arjun Modhwadia also spoke on the bill. He said, "Earlier, those who are now sitting in the ruling government had staged protests to save the cow, but when their government was in power in the Centre during 1999-2004, nobody bothered about bringing a national level bill in Parliament on the issue. On the contrary, they had promoted the meat export."

He further said, "Even the Britishers had made rules to provide 40 acres of grazing land per 100 animals but today there is no space for the animals to even stand. This government has given the land, which was identified for animal hostel by the Britishers in 1904 near Sanand, to the Tatas. The government should protect the Indian culture of cow worshipping."

Sanghani, in his reply, said: "The government is committed to prosecuting those involved in cow slaughter. We will never let anyone go after committing such an act. As far as the issue of promoting meat exports is concerned, I would say that it is the UPA government, which is imposing ban on cotton export and giving subsidies to encourage meat export."