The Right to Life of Animals

KOCHI: It is refreshing to see the courts adopting an animal-friendly approach while interpreting legal provisions. The recent decision of the Supreme Court (B.S. Chauhan and T.S. Thakur J.J.) holding that animals, including elephants, are entitled to compensation in road accidents is a welcome development in this field of law. The element of compassion to fellow beings as adumbrated in the Constitution is explicit when it ruled “The definition of property in the Motor Vehicles Act is very wide and is inclusive. Although it does not specifically mention animals, since it is inclusive, animals also should be included.” The court did not follow where the beaten track may lead; instead it has cut open a new track and left a trail.

The Government of India’s decision banning animal dissection (vivisection) in college laboratories is a breakthrough for the ‘right to life’ of animals. The world is becoming more and more savvy of technology and, therefore, there is no reason why animal dissection shall not be altogether banned giving way to computer simulation of their physiology and pathology.

Many western countries have banned vivisection in medical schools substituting it with human cadavers and computer simulation that are considered enough to meet the educational and research requirements.

Animal rights have gained international attention with leading Irish Animal Rights Group announcing plans to launch a pan- European campaign for a tourism boycott of India to protest against ‘jallikkettu’ condemning it as a cruel amusement.

Animal rights have reached a crescendo with activists pleading before a federal judge in the USA for humane treatment for killer whales for the first time in US history. More than a decade ago, in a significant judgment (Jumbo Circus v. Union of India and others) that had a major impact on show business and the nation’s attitude towards animals, this writer presiding over the Division Bench of the High Court of Kerala, ruled that animals have inherent rights of dignified existence akin to the basic rights of humans.

The judgment while upholding a law against training and display of five species of animals (lion, tiger, bear, panther and monkey) in circuses throughout India has corrected a constitutional anachronism and in the process pushed the animal rights jurisprudence to a new level as commented upon. In holding that animals have right to dignity, the court has shown once more that it is prepared to go beyond the letter of the law to reinterpret and even extent it in the light of evolving public consciousness.

In the judgment it was observed, “Though not Homo Sapiens, they (animals) are also beings entitled to humane treatment. In many respects, they behave better than man. They kill to eat, and eat to live and not live to eat as some humans. They do not practise deception, fraud or falsehood as we do, and all except the very lowest exhibit some degree of intelligence ranging from learned responses to complex reasoning. What is more, they do not proliferate and deplete our planet’s resources.” In the judgment we posed the question: “If humans are entitled to fundamental rights, why not animals?” and answered it in the following words: “In our considered opinion, legal rights shall not be the exclusive preserve of humans and have to be extended beyond people, thus dismantling the thick wall with humans all on one side and non-humans on the other. While the law currently protects wildlife and endangered species from extinction, animals are denied rights, an anachronism that must necessarily change.”

Let me conclude with a reference to the constitutional mandate of Article 51-A to have compassion for living creatures and the stirring opening from the Ishopanishad: “The entire universe and everything in it, animate and inanimate, is His. Let us not covet anything. Let us treat everything around us reverently, as custodians. We have no charter for dominion. All wealth is commonwealth. Let us enjoy but neither hoard nor kill. The humble frog has as much right to live as we.”

(Justice Narayana Kurup is the former Acting Chief Justice of Madras High Court. Email:justiceknkurup@gmail.com. The views expressed in the article are the writer’s own) 

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/the-right-to-life-of-animals/238347-60-116.html

PetaDishoom is NGO partner of Mood Indigo 2011

MUMBAI: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India's youth division, petaDishoom, has been chosen as the non-governmental organisation (NGO) partner of this year's Mood Indigo (MoodI) festival, which is presented every December by the India Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. The MoodI fest, which is the largest festival of its kind in Asia and focuses on art, music and modern culture, will be held 18-21 December and is expected to attract more than 75,000 students representing 550 colleges. Volunteers for petaDishoom will staff an information table and engage attendees in conversations about animal rights, one of the most significant social movements of our time. 

This year, petaDishoom has already been the NGO partner of 45 college festivals, including IITs, IIMs, MDI, NLS and various NITs.

"We're thrilled to partner with the prestigious IIT Bombay, because smart people know it is cool to be kind", says petaDishoom's Youth Marketing Coordinator Richa Mithal. "Animal rights are a key concern for today's young people, and Mood Indigo is giving us the opportunity to bring exciting animal protection campaigns directly to that segment of society." 

In addition to free literature and merchandise, petaDishoom's display will include a streaming video, "Glass Walls", which contains shocking undercover video footage of the horrific abuse that the meat, egg and dairy industries inflict on animals. The video footage was gathered on factory farms and in slaughterhouses in India. 

PetaDishoom focuses on reaching out to people between the ages of 18 and 24. The group's credo is that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on or use for entertainment. Members of petaDishoom regularly work with bands such as Pentagram, Parikrama and Indian Ocean to encourage young people who are eager to help advance animal rights. 

MoodI's mission is to foster social and cultural progress by helping tomorrow's leaders discover their full potential. The colour indigo was chosen for the festival's logo because it's a fusion of red and blue, signifying creativity and intellectualism.

Animal rights activist support fight against corruption

http://gulfnews.com/news/world/india/animals-join-hazare-bandwagon-1.854225

Bhopal: People in Madhya Pradesh are leaving no stone unturned to pledge their support for Anna Hazare. While Wednesday saw his supporters scaling floodlight towers, some animal-lovers took out a procession yesterday with cows, dogs and goats!

On the fourth day of Anna Hazare's fast, people in Bhopal donated blood as a gesture of support for the India Against Corruption agitation. Elsewhere, about a hundred children dressed to resemble Anna Hazare sang Hum honge kaamyab [We shall overcome].

It seemed almost surreal when a timid-looking four-year-old, Udit, suddenly shouted: "Anna ladai kar rahe hain corruption ke khilaf... hum unke sath hai [Anna is fighting against corruption. We are with him]."

Moreover, autorickshaw drivers also did not ply on roads as a sign of support for Hazare.

Lawyers continued with their demonstrations by forming human chain on roads in the state's capital Bhopal.

In Narsinghpur, members of animal welfare organisation People for Animals held a march with cows, dogs and goats.

However, when Bharatiya Janata Party ward commissioners of Indore Municipal Corporation started shouting slogans inside the house, it irked Congress ward commissioners and they presented a garbage bouquet to the mayor and pointed out that the city was full of garbage while corporation members were raising slogans against graft.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_human-chain-to-strengthen-hazares-movement-in-pune_1578095

Pune: Nearly 1,500 citizens formed a kilometre-long human chain on the Mahatma Gandhi (MG) Road on Saturday to express their solidarity with social activist Anna Hazare’s fight against corruption movement.

The otherwise busy MG Road was coloured in tricolour, as Anna’s supporters shouted slogans holding the national flags and wearing Gandhi topis.

The human chain, which began at the Aurora Towers at 5pm, stretched till the Bata Chowk in two hours with more people joining in.

“We had planned the human chain at a very short notice. But the response has exceeded our expectations. This shows the enthusiasm of the people,” said activist Vinita Deshmukh.

According to Deshmukh, people were informed through Facebook after an impromptu decision was taken to organise the human chain. 

“The indifferent attitude of the people has changed to a proactive one. Hence, events like these give people an opportunity to vent their anger and frustration against corruption,” she said.

The enthusiasm and zest of the young and the old were palpable, as they shouted slogans like ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ with gusto.

Major (retd) RS Bhatnagar, who participated in the human chain along with his family, said that he supports the Jan Lokpal Bill. 

“The rampant corruption in the country needs to be curbed with iron hand. We have come out on the streets to voice our support to Anna in a peaceful manner,” he said.

Most people in the human chain said that they were at the receiving end of corruption and hence wanted to protest. 

Amruta Ubale, an animal activist who participated in the rally with her friends, told DNA, “The animal rights movements too have been hampered by corruption. Corruption has vitiated the various sections of society and we want to cleanse it.”

As the human chain was held on only one side of the road, vehicular traffic was not disrupted and 15 policemen could easily manage the crowd.

Supply up, demand down?

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/supply-up-demand-down/827941/1 

There's a lot of vegan gyaan on the Internet. Some of them are calls of distress. Some are tales of surprise. And some more claim that veganism in India is a difficult bid. 'Vegan' originated from the word 'vegetarian' and is widely understood as a stricter version of vegetarianism. Its practitioners consume no animal food or dairy products. Many Puneri eateries have brushed up their menus to provide for the miniscule group of vegans in the city. 

The traditional thali, costing Rs 70, at Asha Dining Hall on Apte road is a vegan delight. Minus the curd and buttermilk, and the ghee on the hot fulkas of course! At the cash counter, owner Prakash Kina doesn't register the request for a 'vegan' thali , but obliges you when asked to keep the diary products out. "It’s not too difficult,” he says. "We anyway only offer curd or buttermilk with the menu, which can be removed, on request."

The city has many places like Asha Dining Hall on offer. But the principle of veganism continues to evade the understanding of most eateries in the city. At Aromas on FC road, chef Tejas Vilankar explains the reason for the lesser-known concept. "It’s easy to give any dish on the menu a vegan twist, but such requests are quite rare. That is one reason why most places would not even know what a vegan diet is all about." At Aromas, he promises you a spiced up vegan dish from the Italian menu. Same for Dario’s situated on Lane 1, Koregaon Park. Owner Dario Dezio instantly understands a request for a vegan version. But even here, not many ask for it.

Then there are some who have tried to inculcate certain ideas of veganism in their menu cards. At the Cofee Café Day, the Vegan Shake comes with an interesting description - "Milk not your thing? This refreshing cold coffee on ice tastes smooth and creamy without milk. No one misses out on the fun!" Priced at Rs 76, the Vegan Shake is actually espresso coffee served chilled. Similarly, the Sorbetto at Ti Amo is a resplendent delight. The Musk Melon flavour that is available all through the year at Rs 70 fulfills the vegan’s need for yummy desserts.

Vegans have also given impetus to a whole new range of food products – right from packaged soya, tofu to exotic veggies. But this, according to 19-year-old Zuri Camille de Souza, is precisily the reason she quit being a vegan. "The market of imported vegan products have diluted the idea of veganism. I started it as a way to show my environmental concerns, but had to quit later," says De Souza, who had no problems in being a vegan as her hostel in Pune catered to that food alternative. "After I finished school, I felt out of place at the dining table," says De Souza. "I realised that I was practising something which was a part of the viscous circle of consumerism and market." But being a vegan creates a demand for a whole new set of products like soy milk to make up for the lost protein. "Packaged soy milk has more carbon foot-prints than any other non-vegan food, so it is pointless."

Shantaram Kane, the author of Diet and Lifestyle: Health in the 21st Century, does not reject veganism on ideological grounds, but on arithmetical grounds. "One gram of protein is required for every one kilogram of body weight. I wonder about their protein intake given the fact that they do not consume milk products." 

My take

Vegan articles in Indian newspapers bring a smile on every vegan and animal rights activist’s face. But more often than not, the articles give a somewhat negative take on veganism. This particular article lists food joints in Pune which include or can arrange for a vegan meal/snack which is helpful.

It also highlights the experience of a 19-year-old Zuri Camille de Souza who turned vegan due to environmental concerns but quit later because vegan packaged food products have more carbon footprints. I would say this is a result of limited knowledge. Soy is not the only source of plant based protein. There are many Indian vegan sources of plant based foods which can fulfill the daily protein requirement of human body. A list of these foods is produced below to prove the point. (I have also listed some sources which are readily available in certain parts of Europe and USA for the benefit of varied readers).

"One gram of protein is required for every one kilogram of body weight. I wonder about their protein intake given the fact that they do not consume milk products." This quote of Shantaram Kane comes as a shock to me since he is the author of Diet and Lifestyle: Health in the 21st Century. But on second thought, many nutritionists are not aware of the wide array of plant based protein foods. I have listed few of plant based foods with amount of protein content. This list is an output of my brief research. I am sure there are many more sources. A combination of these can be used in different meals to meet the daily requirement of protein.

The RDA recommends that we take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh.
Protein content of few plant based foods:

100g chickpea (chana)-17.1g
100g spilt chickpea (chana dal)-20.8g
100g chickpea with brown skin (kala chana)-22.5g
100g black gram (urad dal whole)-24g
100g mung beans (moong dal)- 24g
100g kidney beans (rajmah)-22.9g
One cup lima beans (sem phali) - 14.66g
One cup dried spirulina- 64.37g
One cup French beans- 12.48g
100g rye- 10.34g
100g oats- 16.89g
100 g Soy Beans- 35.22g
100g finger millet (ragi) - 7.7g
One cup boiled peas - 8.58g
One ounce cashew nuts- 5.17 grams
One ounce peanuts- 6.71 g
One ounce pumpkin seeds- 8.46g
One sunflower seed kernels- 5.48 g
100g durum wheat -13.68 g
100g hard red wheat-15.40 g
100g hard white wheat- 11.31g
100 grams of buckwheat- 13.25 grams

India is the highest producer of millets. The protein content in millet is very close to that of wheat; both provide about 11% protein by weight. 

There is an urgent need to make nutritionists, journalists, etc aware of the wide range of plant based food which can easily meet the nutritional requirements of the human body. In such articles the focus should be on creating awareness on wholesome vegan foods.  

Source:http://www.healthalternatives2000.com/nut-seed-nutrition-chart.html
http://vegweightlossdiets.com/good-diet/ragi-nutrition/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millet#Nutrition 
http://www.dietnut.in/NVF-2.html

Jungle bells

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/jungle-bells/444954/

After helping Hollywood for years, India will have its own 3D animation film releasing next month. Veenu Sandhu talks to the people behind Delhi Safari.


Prem Chopra is a jackal. Boman Irani is a know-it-all bear. Govinda is a militant monkey. And 13-year-old Swini Khara is a lion cub. The actors, spanning three generations, have come together for a project that could well trigger a new wave of cinema in India and open it to the world of 3D animation — something Indian film makers haven’t given a shot at, until now. Along with Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar and Suniel Shetty, these actors have given their voice to the animal characters in India’s first 3D animation film, Delhi Safari, which releases on September 30.

The film, previously called Ab Dilli Door Nahi, is about four animals from Borivali National Park, Mumbai, who decide to travel to Delhi to meet the prime minister when their habitat is threatened. Made with a budget of Rs 25 crore, it took director Nikhil Advani four long years to complete the film. Advani was clear he wanted this to be a totally Indian project. “Animation artists in India have been doing a lot of great work for years with one-tenth the budget,” says the film maker. So, instead of looking outside the country, Advani turned to Pune-based animation studio Krayon Pictures which hopes to one day become India’s answer to giants like Pixar and Walt Disney animation studios.

Animation is expensive and takes time, says Advani. Given the way he went about the film, it took even longer. “We had a three-day workshop with the actors,” he says. “They didn’t just read the script and do the voiceover — they enacted every scene which the animal characters were to play while we shot them using five cameras.” This done, the dummy film with real life actors was handed over to the animators who studied the actors, their every mannerism and then created the animal characters. “Bajrangi, the monkey in the animation, walks like Govinda; the bear, Bagga, distinctly bears a Boman Irani resemblance in his mannerism. Even the rogue parrot, Alex, will remind you of Akshaye Khanna,” says Advani. Once the animation was done, the actors were back in the studio for the dubbing.


“It was laborious but exciting,” says Prem Chopra who, at 76, is as animated as the character he has done the voiceover for. “This was a whole new experience for me; I have never done an animation before,” says the actor who has over 400 movies to his name starting from the 1960s with films like Chaudhary Karnail Singh and Hum Hindustani. “I had to modulate my voice to sound like the jackal I was playing,” says Chopra. Despite the voice modification, the jackal called Kalia has his trademark villainous, “Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra,” character.


“He (Chopra) is a thorough professional and always wants to improvise,” says Advani adding that he consciously chose “actors and not stars” for the film.


For Swini Khara, too, this was a learning experience. The child star, whose films include Cheeni Kum, Hari Puttar and Paathshala, says she wants to become an animation director. Delhi Safari gave me first-hand experience of how animation films are made,” she says. Apart from lion cub Yuvraj, Khara’s is also the voice of several other fleeting characters in the film. For her, the big challenge was maintaining the voice of the character, considering she was only nine years old when the shooting started and was nearly 13 by the time it ended.


Apart from Hindi, Delhi Safari will be released in English as well. The English version is dubbed by international artists like Jason Alexander, Vanessa Williams and Brad Garrett . Advani says the distributors are also toying with the idea of dubbing the film in Russian, Italian and Chinese. India’s first 3D animation film, he believes, ought to go global.

My take

The thriving issue and growing awareness on the effects of global warming on wildlife, animal rights, etc is making a prominent industry like bollywood take on projects delivering a message of compassion.

In the month of June another movie titled ‘Green Chic Finding Dad’ http://www.thegreenchic.in/ was released. It is India’s first commercial movie with a message of animal rights and vegetarianism.

Movies are known to make an impression on the mind of the audience and inspire them. With subjects like these it is certain that a positive change among masses is not very far. 

Illegal slaughter killed 110 cow breeds

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_illegal-slaughter-killed-110-cow-breeds_1572891
 

Ahmedabad: A day after police detained a truck carrying 167 cows near Shyamlaji, city cops detained a truck in Saraspur carrying cows.

Widespread trafficking of cows has raised concerns about disappearing of several important breeds of cows.

A Delhi-based trust has come up with a shocking claim.The illegal slaughter of cows has led to some 110 breeds of the animal going extinct in the country since Independence. According to figures provided by the Akhil Bharatiya Go-Sanvradhan, the country had some 118 breeds of cows till 1947. But now the trust says only 18 of them survive.

The trust has blamed the large scale slaughter of the animal for the drop in number of breeds. "Prior to 1947, India had over 48 crore of cows. But now it is just 6 crore," said national president of the trust Swami Swayamanad Giri.

He was speaking at a press meet on Thursday. 

These claims are supported by other organisations of the city working to prevent the illegal slaughter of cows in the city. Tejabhai Desai, a social worker said kidnap and slaughter of cows has seen a rise in and around the city. 

He said that for the last one year butchers have been active in villages surrounding the city. "On Monday, 8 cows in Shertha village of Kalol had gone missing. Similarly, Maaldhari boys spotted butchers trying to escape with 4 cows in Santej village," said Desai. 

He claimed that in the last few months more than 70 vehicles loaded with cows or beef have been detained in Dholka taluka alone. "This is the reason why cow population is going down. Government and police must do something to stop this illegal slaughter" said Desai.

The picture is even gloomier in Ahmedabad city, as illegal trafficking and slaughtering of cows has become a regular affair. According to Nagji Desai, president of Maaldhari Ekta Samiti, in the last one month eight vehicles loaded with beef have been seized by the police. 

He claimed that cow stealing was particularly rampant in areas like Ramol, Isanpur, Bapunagar and Shahpur. In a meeting with state DGP, on Monday, Desai had accused gangs from Juhapura, Bapunagar and Dani Limda of targeting cows roaming on city roads. Desai said cow trafficking and slaughtering is a lucrative business as the meat from a single cow fetches about Rs6000.He also said that inter-state gangs were involved in this business.

Earlier on Wednesday, Shamlajee police had detained a truck carrying 167 cows and calves. The truck with a Madhya Pradesh registration number was trying to enter Gujarat during the night.According to Shamlajee police, the 10 wheeled truck was jam packed with cows. Due to congestion, 66 cows and calves died. Earlier, following a representation by the Maaldhari community, Chitranjan Singh, state Director General of Police (DGP) had asked the concerned heads of police stations to curb the menace. 

"We are working towards curbing the menace. We will also ensure that the offenders do not get bail easily," said Singh. He also ordered that more vehicles be hired for patrolling in the night. 

My take 

It’s a shame that such act of cruelty is taking place in Gujarat which is known as the vegetarian state. This is a result of the cruel dairy industry. Dairy and meat industry are two sides of the same coin. The ‘unproductive’ animals such as old cows, bulls, etc and ‘uneconomical’ animals such as male calves are sold to the meat industry. Keeping them alive does not yield any profit to the dairy owners, so they prefer earning money by selling them to slaughterhouses.  The only way to minimize this atrocity is by turning vegan or at least making a sincere effort to reduce consumption of milk and milk products.

Bull-fights in Goa to become history

http://zeenews.india.com/news/goa/bull-fights-in-goa-to-become-history_723968.html

Panaji: With the Environment Ministry banning use of bulls as performing animals, several traditional games, including bull-fights in Goa, will now become a part of history.

In fact, bull-fights in the state have already been banned by the Bombay High Court in 1996, even though they are illegally being held at some places in the state.

The MoEF notification will also cease political attempts in Goa to revive bull fights, which are enjoyed in the coastal taluka of Salcette. 

Animal rights organisation Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) has welcomed the move.

MoEF issued the notification on July 11, 2011, which added bull in the list of animals including bear, monkey, tiger, panther and lion that cannot be trained or used as a performing animal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

Bull-fights were popular in Goa's coastal belt before they were banned by the Bombay High Court in 1996. The court had cited cruelty to animals as the reason for the ban. However, bull fights continue to be held at some places illegally.

Goa Legislative Assembly had moved a Bill in 2009 to legalise bull fights, which could not get assent of the Governor.

MP Fransisco Sardinha had also tried to move an amendment in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act in 2009 to legalise bull fighting. But the attempt was opposed by many including former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. 

The recent notification, however, is supported by FIAPO, which is an umbrella organisation of animal welfare groups in India.

"Bulls now cannot be made to perform in events like Jallikattu and Rekla races in south India and the Dhirio of Goa and in any form of cinematography," said Dr Chinny Krishna, the chairman of FIAPO.

He said this is a landmark development for bulls and we compliment the ministry for this initiative.

"Hundreds of bulls are tortured in barbaric events like Jallikattu and Rekla races in south India and the Dhirio of Goa. With this notification, bulls are to be considered performing animals for the purpose of such events," he said.

FIAPO has said that bulls in various parts of the country are routinely exploited and abused for races and other forms of performance.

"They are made to take part in cruel cart races in villages and towns across the country. Most of these races typically inflict pain and suffering on the animals," Krishna said.

He said FIAPO and its member organisations have often received complaints that during these races, the cart drivers poke the animals in their sensitive parts with nails and sticks, whip them mercilessly and even drug them with alcohol, all in order to make them run faster than the other.

"Every year, in certain districts of Tamil Nadu, people chase and taunt bulls for fun in a cruel "game" called Jallikattu. During these events, large groups of men and boys throw themselves on top of a bull in an effort to 'tame' him and grab a prize," he said.

My take

Bull fights are called dhirio in the local language. The fight is between two bulls who are aggravated by owners and the spectators. Not only the bulls but the spectators are also known to get harmed. Such events also promote gambling and betting on a large scale. The promoters always put forward a defense stating that it is a traditional sport. The local politicians organize and promote these events with the hope of winning votes from the people. 

Kudos to the Ministry of Environment and Forest! This notification comes in as a huge relief for the activists and countless bulls which are tortured and killed in the name of ‘tradition’.