PETA India urges BJP, Congress to include animal welfare measures in 2024 election manifestos
Mar 14, 2023
New Delhi [India], March 14 : People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Tuesday sent letters to the presidents of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress urging them to include animal welfare in their respective parties' 2024 election manifestos through updates to policies and legislation to provide stronger protections for animals and create harsher penalties for those who commit acts of cruelty.
The request includes phasing out the use of animals in experiments in favour of state-of-the-art research methods and prohibiting the use of elephants in performances, among other animal rights-related initiatives.
"Integral to the moral fibre of our country are the principles of ahimsa and karuna," writes PETA India Director of Advocacy Projects Khushboo Gupta adding, "It is of utmost importance that the welfare of all living beings is given due consideration and protection."
PETA India said that The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, is more than 60 years old and is in need of urgent updates to adequately protect animals, including stronger penalties for acts of cruelty.
"Currently, a person who commits cruelty to an animal can get away with just a Rs 10 fine," Gupta weote. The group recommended more significant fines, jail time, and a ban on keeping or working with animals for those who are convicted.
Other recommendations made by PETA India to add into the parties' manifestos include prioritising funding for the development of sophisticated, non-animal research and testing methods and committing to a strategy to phase out the use of animals in science, focusing on the production of vegan food and leather in India, prohibiting the caging of aerial birds and ending the use of animals forced to perform in circuses.
PETA India further recommended prohibiting the sale of animals through pet shops and breeders while promoting the adoption of dogs and cats from overburdened animal shelters. It further recommended developing action plans to reduce the consumption of animal-derived foods so as to protect animals, human health, and the environment.
