We did it! Our Be Cruelty-Free campaign has just scored another landmark victory for lab animals — a ban on all animal testing for cosmetics in India!
After more than a year of intensive campaigning and policy negotiations by HSI/India, the Drug Controller General has approved the complete removal of any mention of animal tests from India’s cosmetics standard. India now joins the ranks of Europe and Israel as subjecting rabbits, rats, and mice to painful or lethal testing becomes illegal and is replaced with modern non-animal alternatives.
HSI and our partners have been the driving force behind this testing ban, but we couldn’t have done it without the vital help of our supporters and so many elected representatives and celebrities. We thank the compassionate Members of Parliament–especially Smt Maneka Gandhi and Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda–and other State Legislative Assemblies and Legislative Councils who took the time to press the government to take this step.
And we’re grateful to the long list of stars who shone for animals by signing our Be Cruelty-Free India pledge, raising public awareness of the unnecessary suffering endured by animals used for cosmetics testing.
If animal testing of cosmetics is illegal inside India’s labs, it also should be illegal on India’s shop shelves. As we did in Europe, HSI is leading the campaign in India for a ban on the import and sale of cosmetics that have been tested on animals anywhere in the world.
Only then can India truly Be Cruelty-Free. We need your help, please take action today!
A heartfelt thanks to all of you–without your support it would simply not be possible for our Be Cruelty-Free campaign to operate globally and achieve this kind of life-saving progress for animals.
Sincerely,
Andrew Rowan
President and CEO
Humane Society International
Hiranmay Karlekar