Living in harmony with animals

A rally of animal lovers in Delhi has sent across the message that the protection of animal rights and the well-being of human beings are inter-linked. Compassion in humans for animals also leads to the protection of environment and forests

A professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University staging a street-play at Jantar Mantar? Not an usual sight. But then it was not a usual occasion on the evening of Monday, April 23. It was a rally that announced the formation of a new organisation, ‘For Animals’, whose name speaks for its purpose, and demanded full and ethical implementation of the animal birth control programme for community dogs and prompt enactment of the Animal Welfare Act drafted by the Animal Welfare Board of India. It also demanded inclusion of animal welfare in the ambit of national awards, the use of non-animal alternatives in experimentation, a credible investigation of the cruel and irrelevant experiments on animals being allowed in India, and into the composition and functioning of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision on Experiments on Animals.

The rally also protested against the establishment of pounds to incarcerate community dogs for ever, and official indifference to cruelty to animals including illegal cattle transportation under horrifying conditions.

The professor staging and acting in the play was Amita Singh of the Department of Law and Governance. With her were several academics and research scholars from JNU and animal lovers from JNU, Gurgaon and elsewhere. The play sought to highlight the endless suffering street animals underwent at the hands of municipalities, animal traders, butchers and animal haters, and the targeting and victimisation of animal lovers by animal haters.

Ms Sonya Ghosh, an associate professor of English at the College of Vocational Studies, Delhi University, was another academic present. Fluent in Italian, which she studied in Perugia, Italy, she is qualified to teach the language as well. Citizens for the Welfare and Protection of Animals, which Ms Ghosh runs, works to ensure that animals are not cruelly treated and abused and their rights are ensured. It secured the release, through a writ petition, of 300 monkeys, incarcerated for over three years by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Government’s forest department. It also devised a solution to the presence of monkeys in Delhi by capturing them in family groups and releasing them in the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary where the Forest Department is responsible for feeding and taking care of them. The other principal achievement has been securing from the Delhi High Court an order that the Animal Welfare Board of India identifiy community dog feeding sites in colonies.

Professor Singh is the main inspiration behind ‘Walk for Animal and Habitat’ in Gurgaon, which seeks to integrate animal welfare into a wider movement for compassionate existence of all living beings in an ambience of love.

A central thrust of the movement, based on the fundamental beliefs enshrined in Indian philosophy, is to protect the environment from inroads undermining its ability to sustain existence, and to promote harmony through dialogue at every level of society and with authorities in the police and civil administrations.

The key lies in praxis which translates itself in forms as diverse as forging dispute settlement mechanisms with Residents Welfare Organi- sations on animal issues to organising sterilisation and vaccination of community dogs and exhorting police officers to rescue stolen cattle being transported.

Meanwhile, the rally itself could be held because of untiring efforts by Mr Kanishka Sharma, a young executive and animal lover, who procured the multiplicity of permissions required. He also mobilised a number of students from schools and colleges whose presence was an important feature of the rally. It not only underlined the growing strength of the animal rights movement but also that young people in increasing numbers are joining it.

Mr Sharma inducted into the rally Ms Nandini Mehrotra and Ms Medha Sinha of St Stephens and Lady Shriram colleges, and Ms Shivangani Anand and Ms Anusuiya Radhika of GD Goenka and Sanskriti schools respectively, who performed a number of important functions including conducting the proceedings.

Mr Anando Dasgupta prepared the website publicising the rally. Ms Anjali Sharma, AWBI member and indefatigable animal rights lawyer, provided organisational support. Ms Rukmini Shekhar mobilised the top musicians whose performance was resonated through the evening. Ms Amritika Phool and Mr Abhinav Srihan mobilised support while Mr Rishi Dev mobilised through the Internet and posters besides visiting colleges. Ms Shipra Biswas provided invaluable help in too many ways to enumerate.