Activist buys 32 bullocks, saves them from slaughter

The city’s out-of-work bullock population may not end up in the abattoir after all. The president of an animal rights organisation bought more than 30 animals that have been banned by the controller of rationing from transporting kerosene. Fizzah Shah, the head of In Defence of Animals, has also readied a public interest litigation (PIL) to challenge the ban.

Bullock carts have been used for transporting kerosene to dealers in Mumbai for decades. The controller issued an order prohibiting the practice on January 31 following a petition by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the Bombay High Court. The petition sought to only ease the workload of bullocks, but the controller imposed the blanket ban.

The diktat made the animals a liability for their owners, who then decided to sell them to slaughterhouses. Till Wednesday, Shah had saved 32 of these animals. “I have erected a proper shed for them at my farmhouse in Virar East. I have also hired people to take care of them,” she said. “The bullocks have been kept in a natural environment, and they appear to be happy.”

Shah said that she was horrified by the prospect of bullocks ending up in the abattoir after helping their owners earn a living for years. “I realised that the only way to save them was to purchase them from their owners,” she said.

Shah will file her PIL against the ban in the coming weeks. Animal lover Ajay Marathe will join her in the legal fight.

“My organisation will also intervene in the ongoing petition filed by PETA. The matter will come up for hearing on March 15,” she said. Animal rights activists say the State should issue directives for proper care of bullocks instead of banning their use for transporting kerosene and other goods.

“We have been campaigning for years. We now hope the High Court takes cognizance of the situation, and orders rehabilitation of the animals,” Dr Manilal Valliyate, the director of PETA India’s veterinary affairs, had told Mirror earlier.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2012030920120309020321300ff676d68

WIFW to spread human trafficking, animal rights awareness

New Delhi, Feb 9 (PTI) The upcoming Autumn-Winter edition of the Wills India Fashion Week (WIFW) is seeking to help social causes by spreading awareness about human trafficking and animal rights. Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the organising body for WIFW, has joined hands with 'YouCanFree.Us' in its campaign against human trafficking as well as PETA for its crusade against cruelty to animals. A special show by 12 designers has been included in the five-day fashion week, to begin on February 15, to support 'YouCanFree.Us', a not-for-profit organisation working towards rescuing and rehabilitating women who become victims of human trafficking in India. 

Designers like Manish Arora, Suneet Varma, JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani, Shantanu-Nikhil and Ritu Beri will lend their support to the cause. The designers have lined up a showcase of their creations for the event with the theme - 'From Ashes to Beauty'. "In the past we have supported causes like breast cancer awareness, support for the girl child, campaign against child labour, awareness against drunken driving and helping autistic children. This year we are happy to lend the WIFW platform to 'YouCanFree.Us' in their drive against human trafficking," said FDCI President Sunil Sethi. 

For the drive by PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), Bollywood stars Gulshan Grover and Mahima Chaudhary will join Sethi to announce a partnership with FDCI, themed 'Fashion for Freedom – Boycott Zoos', with the help of two caged models wearing costumes to resemble big cats. The campaign will extend to FDCI's next fashion week in September.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/wifw-to-spread-human-trafficking-animal-rights-awareness/961271.html

No using beasts of burden to transport oil: State

 Banned: Bullock carts transporting oil. PETA says bullock cart owners
do not treat the animals well. file pic

Govt instructs oil companies to do away with bullock carts after PETA highlights ill-treatment of animals


In an attempt to prevent animal abuse, the state government has instructed petroleum giants Indian Oil, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum to not transport oil using animal power. To stop transportation of kerosene in the city in bullock carts, a copy of the instructions along with a copy of the 2006 notification by the state government that bans oil companies and ration shops from keeping and using cattle for transportation purposes has been circulated among ration shops and oil companies across the state by the Controller of Rationing, Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies. 

Five-year campaign
The move is an outcome of a five-year-long campaign by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA activists welcomed the order, saying that forcing bullocks to pull heavy oil carts on busy and hot streets is an act of extreme abuse.


"We are thrilled to see that the government has now taken steps to put an end to this archaic practice," said Dr Manilal Valliyate, director of veterinary affairs, PETA, India. An inspection carried out by the activists last year revealed bullocks used in transportation of oil endured tremendous suffering as most of them were underweight or ill, kept in filthy conditions and were forced to work beyond their physical capabilities.


As a result, most of the bullocks suffered from chronic inflammation caused by pressure from the yoke, maggot-infested wounds, infected sores, arthritis or intestinal problems. In a meeting held on May 4, 2011, involving the ministry, bullock owners' associations and PETA, it was decided that bullock owners would be given time till October 22, 2011, to discontinue the use of bullock carts and switch over to appropriate motorised transport for carrying oil.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2012/feb/080212-pune-No-using-beasts-of-burden-to-transport-oil-State.htm

Anti-leather campaign ahead of Delhi fashion week

Delhi-PETA's US affiliate, along with Stella McCartney, are urging fashionistas to shed fur and leather in the lead up to New York, London, Paris, Milan, Delhi and Mumbai Fashion Weeks with a viral video expose of the skins trade, hosted by McCartney.

"As a designer, I like to work with fabrics that don't bleed; that's why I avoid all animal skins," says McCartney in the video. "Please join me in exploring the huge variety of fashionable shoes, belts, purses and wallets that aren't the product of a cow's violent death."

McCartney's video explains that cows killed for their skin in western countries can be castrated, branded and dehorned and have their tails cut, all without painkillers. In India, the animals' throats are cut, and many cows, buffaloes, sheep and goats are skinned and dismembered while they are still alive. And the toxic chemicals used to keep the animals' skin from rotting harm workers' health and can pollute nearby water supplies and soil, leading to increased rates of cancer among nearby residents.

As designers (and the celebrities they dress) learn about the cruelty inherent in the skins trade, a growing number of them -including Marc Bouwer, Anita Dongre, Hemant Trevedi, Sanjana Jon and Rina Shah- are shunning leather, fur and other animal skins and proving that you can create a look that kills without killing animals.

In 2007, PETA US teamed up with Marc Bouwer for the official launch of his vegan clothing line during New York Fashion Week. Bouwer, who has dressed stars such as Angelina Jolie and Oprah Winfrey, became the first major designer to stage a show completely free of animal fibres at this prestigious event.

In 2010, the design team Hemant and Nandita showed off their "Real People Wear Fakes" collection - created in support of PETA India's campaigns - at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion in Delhi. Using animal-inspired digital prints, synthetic skins and other innovative materials, the designers illustrated how sophisticated animal-free fashions can be.

Also in 2010, leather-free designer Rina Shah sent a special pair of shoes from her new collection to Hollywood star Natalie Portman in celebration of the actor's birthday.

Shah is known for her exquisitely designed footwear - the shoes that she sent to Portman, a long-time vegan, are adorned with Swarovski crystals - and none of it contains a stitch of leather. In addition to Portman, the many celebrities who refuse to wear leather include Pamela Anderson, Raveena Tandon, Joaquin Phoenix, Alicia Silverstone and many others.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/fashion/shows/Anti-leather-campaign-ahead-of-Delhi-fashion-week/articleshow/11808312.cms

Spare the mice, use the mouse

New concepts: Such models are ideal for dissection and study

UGC recommends an end to animal dissections and the use of computer models

Who has not heard stories of students losing consciousness while conducting a laboratory experiment involving dissecting an animal or insect? 

Practicals, being a pre-requisite, force the students to carry out the dissection, irrespective of how uncomfortable they are, or how cruel they find the whole procedure. 

Soon undergraduate students will no longer be required to dissect animals and dissection will be optional for postgraduate students. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) – the apex regulatory body for higher education in India – has published official recommendations calling for an end to animal dissection and animal experimentation for university and college zoology and life sciences courses in a phased manner. 

Members of the expert committee that advised UGC estimate that this move will save the lives of approximately 19 million animals each year. “By eliminating animal dissection and phasing out animal experimentation, Indian's top university governing body is making sure that students use the most modern education tools possible, meaning computer models over animals,” said People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India Science Policy Advisor Chaitanya Koduri. PETA was one of those organisations that had spearheaded the campaign.

Medically speaking…

In 2009, the Medical Council of India (MCI) officially amended its Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) regulations to state that “experimental work on animals can be demonstrated by Computer Aided Education,” clearing the way for medical colleges to eliminate their use of animals in student-training laboratories. 

Though this policy change allows medical schools to adopt completely non-animal training curricula, many MBBS programmes in India still use live mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits and frogs in physiology and pharmacology classroom experiments. This, when 95 per cent of programmes in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. use didactic methods, state-of-the-art human patient simulators (HPS), supervised clinical practice and interactive computer-aided learning (CAL) simulations to train students. 

Alternatives

Recently, to familiarise medical faculty in India with how modern, MCI-approved simulation training methods can replace animal use in MBBS classroom laboratories, PETA India sponsored a medical education workshop in Bangalore. Speaking on ‘Computer With Mouse – A New Experimental Animal for Learning' at the workshop on ‘Modernising Medical Training,' David Dewhurst, professor of e-Learning, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, said, “Faculty of medical education have a crucial role to play in deciding learning outcomes, especially when animals are replaced with alternative means in physiology and pharmacology training.” 

“All over the world, there are ethical objections to the use of animals in medical training. We must understand that there are good alternatives available, which have proved to be educationally effective,” he said, speaking from the experience of using computer-aided simulators since 1985 in place of animals for teaching his students. As of 2009, medical colleges in the U.K. used 1,703 animals for training, he added. 

Prof. Dewhurst demonstrated some in vitro and in vivo simulations of rat blood pressure, Lagendorff Heart and other procedures. The programmes use mathematical models and algorithmic structures to respond to the users' inputs. “For instance, we can determine the effect of a particular dosage of a drug when administered. The programme will simulate the corresponding reactions, thereby minimising the need to use animals,” he explained. 

He said that the hardest part was convincing the teaching staff to adopt non-animal models and alternatives. “I understand some old-school faculty will resist the use of computer simulators. All it takes is some convincing. It is not merely about saving animals. Computer-aided alternatives are effective in diagnosing students' learning problems and save a lot of time,” he added. 

http://www.thehindu.com/education/issues/article2820630.ece

Khan Sisters oppose caged animals in zoos

 

New Delhi: Celebrity siblings Nigaar and Gauahar Khan have teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for an ad campaign against caged animals in zoos.

The sisters, who are currently seen on the TV show ‘The Khan Sisters’, appear wearing zebra-striped bodysuits while caged in a zebra-striped box in the campaign, which reads "Think Outside the Box: Boycott Cages, Boycott Zoos".

"You don`t learn anything from looking at a sad animal locked up in a zoo. If you want to learn about animals, view them in their natural habitats - visit a nature preserve, or watch a video or read a magazine about them. Don`t support the keeping of animals in unnatural confinement," said Gauhar.

Her elder sister Nigaar too feels animals shouldn`t be caged.
"Like people, animals need freedom. Instead of spending money on breeding animals or capturing them in the wild, we should be spending money on protecting the animals` natural habitats or on creating reserves and national parks where they can live in peace," said Nigaar.

The ad for the animal rights organisation will be featured in an upcoming episode of ‘The Khan Sisters’.

http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/idiotbox/khan-sisters-oppose-caged-animals-in-zoos_104531.htm

Empty cages, big plans

Now in its 151st year, the zoo at Jijamata Udyan in Byculla needs revitalisation

As you enter Jijamata Udyan, popularly known as Byculla Zoo, the signs of ageing are clearly visible. Empty cages welcome you and it is clear that Mumbai’s lone zoo, now set for its 150th anniversary celebrations, awaits a much-needed makeover from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Empty enclosures, dry grass and boards of non-existent animals await visitors during their trip to the zoological garden. With an entry ticket of Rs 5, it is an abode for young couples. The cat family is absent, with the exception of one lioness, whom the crowd screams at and teases. Snakes have been shifted, temporarily, to an animal shelter nearby, as the reptile section is being renovated. There is one female Himalayan black bear.  

The animals that were earlier in the zoo but have either died or have been shifted — like tigers, snakes and lions — will be the first to be added in the next couple of years. Officials admit that the zoo has suffered due to the modernisation plan being on the anvil, but not put into effect, for 10 years. “We cannot bring in any new animals as the plans are being worked out for renovation of the zoo. Several animals have passed away and some are in their last stages,” says an official associated with the zoo development. The condition of the zoo has suffered because of the delay in implementation, as there have been several revisions in the layout, adds the official.

According to zoo officials, however, all is not lost. They remain optimistic about its future. "This will be one of the most beautiful zoological gardens in India in some years. We plan to start work to modernise the area from 2013. Animals like the zebra, leopard, civet cat, jaguar and Indian bison will hopefully be brought in,” adds a zoo official. The ambitious authorities also plan to add penguins to their list of species on display.

Animal rights activists are, however, not happy with how things are at the zoo. Members of the NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has visited the zoo on many occasions. In November 2003, PETA India staffers and the then Deputy Mayor of Mumbai, Rajesh Sharma, took a round of the zoo along with officials. Sharma had requested the officials to ensure that immediate steps were taken to improve the living conditions of the animals, according to PETA.

In August 2004, after trying to work with the zoo authorities for almost a year, PETA India prepared a comprehensive report on the zoo and submitted it to the authorities.

“One of the immediate outcomes of this report was that the Mumbai Zoo did not get the necessary recognition from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) under the Zoo Rules of 1992 at that time,” says Poorva Joshipura, PETA India’s Chief Functionary. This, according to PETA, clearly reflected the fact that the zoo’s conditions were not up to the mark.

PETA officials further add that the CZA has banned elephants from being kept in zoos because zoos are wholly inadequate environments for elephants. PETA appealed to the Byculla zoo to release its own elephants to a sanctuary where they can live as elephants were meant to live. “The zoo has yet to move its elephants, despite the CZA order. A person was killed when he entered the elephant enclosure,” says Manilal Valliyate, PETA’s Director of Veterinary Affairs. Valliyate adds that keeping a few penguins at the Byculla zoo in the hope that they will draw a crowd will do nothing to help protect the species.

As for the 150th-year celebration, the anniversary actually fell in 2011. Insiders say that that the celebrations were delayed by inadequate funds, but some officials claim that celebrations did, in fact, begin last year. “As part of the celebrations, special nature trails had already begun in 2011,” says a senior zoo official. The official programme list, however is awaited.

Zoo officials add that nature trails and activities designed to create awareness about environmental issues will be part of the anniversary celebrations, expected to go on till the end of 2012. BMC will organise these events, which will officially commence in February.

Despite all these issues, there has been no drastic decline in the number of visitors to the zoo. The atmosphere and greenery attract an estimated 5,000 visitors every day. The zoo received 1.6 million visitors in 2011-12. “The zoo may not have too many animals, but I still frequent the place because of the peaceful surroundings and colourful flora. It is one of the best places to relax in Mumbai, since it is affordable,” says Harish Gupta, an octogenarian who visits the place at least thrice a week.

As Byculla Zoo prepares itself for a makeover, officials are hoping that it does not fall prey to further bureaucratic delays. Jijamata Udyan is a landmark of Mumbai and particularly of Byculla, and the zoo deserves much better.

Kolaveri di singer Dhanush voted 'Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity 2011'

Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat and Kolaveri fame Dhanush have been voted 'Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities 2011' in a poll by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), overcoming competition from veterans Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, among others.

"Thousands of people cast their votes to help PETA India determine the Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011, and Dhanush and Mallika Sherawat have been declared the winners," the animal rights advocacy group said in a press release.

National award-winning Dhanush and Mallika beat out early leaders Vivek Oberai and Vidya Balan and faced further competition from Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sonu Sood, Shahid Kapoor, and Kareena Kapoor, PETA India said.

"If I had to pick the very best thing about being vegan, it's my clear conscience", Mallika was quoted as saying while Dhanush, who shot to national fame with his chirpy video "Why This Kolaveri Di" was quoted as saying he felt light and healthy being vegetarian.

"There's nothing sexier than someone who exudes passion and compassion and our winners have plenty of both," PETA India's chief functionary, Poorva Joshipura, said.

The winners were chosen based on the total number of votes each celebrity received, plus other factors, the release said and advocated following a vegetarian style of diet, as it helped reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer "and saves animals from a lifetime of suffering on cramped, filthy factory farms."

Dhanush, Vidya Balan, Sonu Sood lead in veg celebrity contest

Chennai, Dec 26 (PTI): National award winning actor and "Kolaveri Di" song fame Dhanush, Bollywood actress Vidya Balan and actor Sonu Sood are among those who have taken early leads in the vegetarian celebrity contest, conducted by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Besides the three, other film stars in the foray are Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, actresses Mallika Sherawat, Kareena Kapoor, Hema Malini and Ayesha Takia, competing for the title "India's Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2011" organised by PETA and being conducted to promote vegetarianism among the public. 

"From Bollywood to Hollywood, the world's kindest and most gorgeous celebrities are adopting a healthy, humane vegetarian diet", PETA India Chief Functionary Poorva Joshipura said. Vegetarians are not only less prone to obesity, but also save the lives of more than 100 animals a year, the statement said, quoting a recent United Nations report which said that a global shift towards vegetarian is necessary to combat the worst affects of climatic change. Celebrity winners of the contest would be chosen on the number of votes each receives. They would be announced in January, the statement added.

PETA chooses Hema Malini as 'Person of the Year'

Bollywood's eternal 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini never misses an opportunity to speak out for animals. So, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found her to be the obvious choice for their Person of the Year award.

Poorva Joshipura, PETA India's chief functionary said, "Hema is the embodiment of the kindness and determination to effect the positive social change that PETA India stands for. She is loved and respected throughout India and beyond, and she has used her prestige time and time again to speak up for all the animals whose abuse and oppression might otherwise go unnoticed."

Hema Malini's work for animal rights includes writing a heartfelt appeal this year to the Ministry of Environment and Forests on behalf of PETA India, urging them to ban jallikattu (bull fighting).

Soon after this, the said Ministry issued a notification in The Gazette of India stating that bulls can no longer be used as 'performing' animals. Not just that, she had also written a letter on behalf of PETA India, asking that cruel and dangerous horse carts to be banned in Mumbai. In November, the Mumbai High Court came to a landmark decision to crack down on unlicensed stables housing horses used to pull carriages. 

Bulls having a bad day in oil marketing firms too

IOC, BPCL, HPCL using bullocks to transport kerosene miffs animal rights group. Bulls are down and out — not only in the stock markets, but also in oil marketing companies. Or, so thinks the PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals).

The rights organisation has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court against against three oil marketing companies. The PIL seeks to stop IndianOil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) from using bullock-carts to transport kerosene from their respective depots to different rationing shops.

“These are Fortune 500 listed oil companies. Despite having other resources, they still use bulls to transport kerosene,” says Manilal Valliyate, director of veterinary affairs, Peta India.

BULLISH ON BULLS?
Oil Company	Number of  Bullock carts		Number of bullocks
	500 litres	1000 litres
IOCL	164	52	268
HPCL	197	8	213
BPCL	43	--	43
Total	464		524
Source: Controller and Rationing, Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies

He notes that most bullocks that are forced to pull kerosene carts are injured or lame; they struggle to pull “extremely heavy loads” through heavy traffic in Mumbai. “Many suffer from acute or chronic arthritis and intestinal problems such as diarrhoea and impaction. None of these companies has taken any step to stop this practice.”

Valliyate argues that no safety measures have been taken to prevent fires, explosions and other accidents while transporting kerosene on bullock carts. These oil companies use a pair of bullocks to transfer 1,000 litres of kerosene and one bullock to transfer 500 litres of the fuel.

There are 464 bullock carts which use around 524 bullocks to transport kerosene for IOCL, HPCL and BPCL, instead of opting for non-animal methods, he adds. An email sent to IOC and HPCL remained unanswered. BPCL declined to comment on the issue since a PIL has been filed.

An oil company official, on the condition of anonymity, explained the bullocks were being used to transport kerosene to rationing shops that are located in “very narrow lanes and bylanes” which cannot accommodate any other mode of transport. “Also, it is a means of livelihood to the bullock-cart owners,” he told Business Standard. “We have to consider these before we decide to stop using bullock-carts.”

Peta says that the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies of Maharashtra had, in 2008, decided to phase out the use of bullock carts to transport kerosene in Mumbai by 31 March 2009 — and replace carts with suitable mechanised transport. Till date, the ministry has failed to phase out bullock carts.

The Maharashtra government has issued a notification under the state’s Keeping and Movement of Cattle in Urban Areas (Control) Act, 1976, prohibiting the keeping and movement of cattle in the entire area of Mumbai City and Mumbai Suburban District. It came into effect on 1 July 2006 based on public interest.

Even so, animals that are used to transport kerosene are kept in pathetic conditions, argues Valliyate. “They are treated in ways that are in violation of India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.” he argues.

Peta says it will plead in the court to issue directives to oil companies to immediately stop supplying kerosene to bullock carts and support the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies to effectively implement the ban on bullock-carts by contributing to the changeover to mechanised transport.

Make Tihar Jail meat-free zone: PETA India

Urging the Delhi High Court to make Tihar Jail a meat-free zone, PETA India on Tuesday said many jails in the US have introduced vegetarian food and found "noticeable difference" in the personalities of the inmates as it decreases aggressive behaviour.

In a letter to Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the animal rights group said that by feeding prisoners exclusively vegetarian food, the recidivism rate or relapse into criminal behaviour will be reduced, thus helping prisons and prisoners.

In a letter addressed to the two judges, they also contended that this would help in saving the taxpayers' money.

The high court has been petitioned by Tihar jail inmates that they should also be given non-vegetarian food.

However, PETA India disagreed with the prisoners' demand.

"We urge you to allow the state to serve exclusively vegetarian food in Tihar Jail. We understand Tihar Jail and other prisons in the state are already sending a positive message against violence by serving vegetarian food on most days of the year," the letter said.

The letter written by Bhuvaneshwari Gupta, who is the nutritionist and campaign coordinator of PETA India, also said: "It would be a big step backward to start feeding prisoners cruel, meat-based meals just because a few meat addicts at Tihar Jail are complaining."

They said vegetarian food also decreases aggressive behaviour.

"Vegetarian food promotes compassion. Prisons are the last place we should be encouraging violence and meat involves extreme cruelty and killing," it said.

Quoting some instances in the US, the group said numerous prisons have successfully reduced violence with a regimen that includes vegetarian or vegan meals, which are dairy-free and contain no animal-derived products.

Two of them are the US Victor Valley Medium Community Correctional Facility in California and Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center in Baltimore.

The letter said the two prisons reported success in using vegetarian meals in behaviour modification programmes. "There is a noticeable difference in the personalities of the vegetarian inmates. They smile more, are fully racially integrated, attend religious classes and anger management classes eagerly. Within 10 days, the vegan inmates express improvement in how they feel," the statement said quoting one official of the Californian facility.

They also said vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease, obesity, cancer, strokes, and diabetes than those who consume animal products.

The letter said vegetarian food is far less expensive than meat, and vegetarian food is easier to prepare.

"Making prisons meat-free zones is a win-win situation. For these reasons, we hope that you will allow Tihar Jail to enforce a vegetarian-only policy," the statement said, adding that they would be happy to help the prison design meatless meal plans.

Intolerable tales of bovine cruelty

http://www.dailypioneer.com/362537/Intolerable-tales-of-bovine-cruelty.html

At a time when the new draft Bill on Animal Welfare is pending clearance, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has come out with shocking tales torture meted out to bovines across the country.

Some of its brutal findings include jabbing of sharp wires or metal rods into the necks of these animals to control them. Piercing the noses of the young calves and passing thick ropes to yank them even as they writhe in pain is another example of such brutality. In States like Maharashtra, both bulls and ponies are often hitched to a single cart. This results in injury to both of them since their sizes are different and they can’t pull the cart with same strength

“Worse still, the bullocks are ‘fired’ or blistered for ‘curing’ lameness or arthritis. The affected muscles, bones or joints are treated with red hot iron or with caustic chemicals such as mercuric iodide or copper sulphate to scald the area without any analgesia or anaesthesia,” informed Dr Manilal Valliyate, Director of Veterinary Affairs, PETA India.

In a major drive against such atrocities across the country, PETA has confiscated “instruments” of torture from various States. These would soon be displayed before the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). The PETA has demanded the passage of the pending Animal Welfare Bill 2011 at the earliest. The proposed Act is expected to provide stronger penalties for cruelty to animals and ensure better protection to animals.

In a bid to offer relief to such animals PETA has founded the Animal Rahat for free professional veterinary treatment and emergency care to ill or injured animals being forced to work, in such compelling circumstances.

According to Dr Sudheesh Nair, Programme Manager, Animal Rahat maximum exploitation of livestock occurs in large numbers in States like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar etc.

As per the the last livestock census conducted by PETA, the owners use specially made whips to inflict pain and egg on the animal. The animals were also found to be branded using hot iron (hot branding) or using cold iron (freeze branding) for their individual recognition. The process kills skin tissues and causes excruciating pain, he noted.

“However, one of the most shocking forms of torture is hitching different animals or differently sized animals, which often leads to injuries on neck and lameness,” said Valliyate. In bull racing which still happens to be a favourite sport in certain states, the bulls are often beaten mercilessly with wooden sticks spiked with nails in order to get them to run faster in the sweltering heat. The bulls’ tails are painfully twisted, and they are left spattered in blood.

While Animal Rahat is spreading awareness in the states amongst stake holders on awareness of against cruelty of animals it is also educating people on hands-on direct actions to prevent such atrocities.