Animal Rights not Animal Wrongs! Speaking against Animal brutality

 

Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A Nation’s prominence and advancement can be judged by the way it’s Animals are treated” 

Introduction 

Animals have been an indispensable part of our civilization right from its very inception; when ancient man learned agriculture and how to tame animals. Earlier animals were domesticated only for companionship. With the passing years and changing time, the Kinship between Humans and Animals changed into barbarity, and the welfare of animals have been jeopardized. This year in the month of May a pregnant Elephant ate a pineapple stuffed with firecrackers which exploded in her mouth subsequently she succumbed to death. This incident once again incited a lot of debates and outrage of animal rights activists talking about animal welfare and rights. This fateful event however brought the issue of animal rights and welfare once again into the limelight. 

Most of the people are often mistaken when the topic is about Animal Welfare, as for them welfare is all about issues concerning stray dogs and cats. Yes, how can we forget about the issue of our cow and her protection which grabbed headlines in the past however was not only driven by welfare motive but also by Political and religious sentiments. Sadly, no one has ever dared to think about thousands of other species who are tormented for their teeth, skin, fur, meat, medicinal values; the ones who have become extinct and others who are on the verge of being wiped out of existence and from the planet of course. It is high time that we as a nation start addressing this very critical issue of Animal Brutality, without brushing it aside under the carpet.

Focusing upon the forms of cruelty inflicted upon innocent animals; we can certainly discover Animals subjected to barbaric treatments in scientific laboratories for research purpose; Animals bred ( raped precisely ) and raised for economic motive and how they get used for the entertainment purpose. At first, let's talk about Animals being used in laboratories, they are used for testing drugs, cosmetics etc; we know animals are very different from humans physically how could an experiment accurately reflect the same results from animals to us? Animals like Cow, Buffalo Camels, Sheep and Goats are continually domesticated and raised for their milk, meat and skin. They are impregnated scientifically known as artificial insemination for more progeny and milk. This process is involuntary and sexually violates the female animals as they are vulnerable and weak. The defenceless animals are not only raped in dairy farms for economic purpose but also instances of bestiality have resurfaced when we get to know about incidents of cows, goats, dogs sexually abused by humans. Social Evil like rape affects every soul, every body irrespective of the fact that the wronged is a human or an animal. The fundamental element one can infer from the rape laws of our country is about conscious and informed consent i.e. no one can impose their will on other's body. Animals thus cannot communicate their consent and hence is a criminal offence whether such act is done at dairy farms masked in the name of artificial insemination or by humans sexually abusing them owing to their sick mentality.

There is another growing concern about the animals being strained for human entertainment who endure routine violence. India banned the use of animals in Circus back in the year 2017, but the mistreatment took another form. Animals used for leisure rides like Camels, Horses, Elephants are often trained from their very formative age/ young age burdened with a lot of heavyweights, socially excluded and trapped all the time till they learn not to disobey. It is a fact stated by Save The Asian Elephants, an NGO that animals like Elephants don't obey, but submit due to the harsh treatment done by their masters. They are trained through exhaustion. Controlled and whipped by a pickaxe in sensitive areas bruised and wounded, famished for days, chained and restrained away from their family and herd; under these inhuman conditions, they submit and their exploitation is masked. 

So the next time when you see animals like camels, elephants and horses given up for rides outside temples, in village fairs, in marriage processions ask a question, is it a well-trained animal or maltreated one? The irony is that animal like Elephants who epitomises a famous Hindu deity are exploited in their own country. Increased Tourism and travel in the country has also spiked the number of Elephants held captive for entertainment purpose. Since past few years our country India has seen a rise in the rank on World Tourism Index, in 2019 it stood at 34th  position. This significant development will again increase the number of wronged animals. Not only  Elephants but Cows are also considered sacred and given the position of a mother, but India became the second-largest beef exporter in the world in 2018 when in the previous year 2017 the central government issued a nationwide ban on cow slaughter. Out of 29 Indian states, 20 of them have legislations prohibiting cow slaughter also punishes and penalises the perpetrator.

Legal Provisions 

Our Country has a decent number of laws safeguarding animals in distress. Now let us look at the various provisions of law which are made for the welfare of animals. According to our supreme law book i.e., Constitution it is the fundamental duty of every citizen mentioned in article 51A(g) to have love and kindness towards wildlife. It is also their responsibility to safeguard them. 

• Killing or causing grievous hurt to Animals is a Punishable Offence under section 428/429 of Indian Penal Code. It punishes the wrongdoer with imprisonment which can be extended to two years or fine.

• As per the Slaughterhouse Rules of 2001, Animals cannot be slaughtered at any place except the legally permitted butcher houses. Animals who are unhealthy and pregnant cannot be slaughtered as per rule 3 of Prevention of Cruelty to animals, 1960, Slaughterhouse Rules, 2001and Food Safety and Standard Regulation 2011. 

• Animal Birth Control rules of 2001, aims to control the population of street dogs by sterilisation and vaccination. Constitution of India gives more validation to this rule and Prevention of cruelty to Animals 1960 over State Laws.

• Domesticating and raising animals without proper care can land the caretaker in jail for 3 months or fine or both. The caretaker has to ensure sufficient food, water, shelter and should not confine/restrain them for long hours.

• Animal sacrifice is illegal as per the rule 3 of Slaughterhouse Rules 2001.

• Teasing or feeding Animals of the Zoo is forbidden under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 according to which 25000 Rs fine and  imprisonment for 3 months is decided for the law breaker. 

• Destroying nests of Animals or their eggs is  punishable with a fine of 25,000 and 7 years imprisonment as per section 9, of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

• Teasing/ Molesting/Disturbing animals in their peaceful environment is punishable with a fine of Rs 25,000 and 3 years of imprisonment according to section 38(j) of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972

• Thankfully India has also felt the need for finding alternatives to animals for scientific/Biomedical research. Indian Council of Medical Research ICMR announced setting up of a government centre which will use human organs on chip, Computer models, human-patient simulators etc in place of animal research.

• Cosmetics testing on Animals have also been forbidden in our country, making India stand at numero uno position amongst the south Asian countries which took this out of the cage step.

• India has also banned the trade of exotic skin and fur of Animals used in the fashion industry in the year 2017.

Critical Analysis

Even after such finest laws made in our country for the welfare of wildlife population; India witnesses cases of animal exploitation and sexual abuse. Most of the incidents go unreported and the perpetrators scot-free. The one's which get into our notice/limelight is just the tip of the iceberg. Everyone is only worried about their rights and seldom give importance to their duties. Although it is a fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and have compassion for living beings and wildlife as it is not stringent, people don't give significance to it. Illiteracy and mass un-awareness is also a cause of animal cruelty, as people are ignorant of the benevolent provisions of Law. Animal sacrifices are forbidden but people do the act out of their religious sentiment do such acts freely. In spite of laws that prevent inciting animals to fight for entertainment; Jallikattu, a bullfighting sport of Tamil Nadu which even our Supreme Court banned in 2014, was challenged by thousands of protesters and finally, state legislation legalised this barbaric sport. Not only ordinary people But also the government authorities do acts which are frequently unnoticed for eg after sterilization process local authorities often relocate stray animals from their original place. No birth chart or data of animals are prepared to keep track of their age as Animal Birth Control Rules clearly specifies as minimum 4 months of age for stray cats and dogs to be spayed. Nowadays it is a trend that people domestic animals like Dogs and Cats of high breeds to exhibit their social status. Domesticated animals most of the time are not properly taken cared of. There have been certain cases where animals became victims of domestic and sexual violence. Nevertheless, their tears fall on blind eyes. People visit Zoo and out of love feed animals which is prima face a punishable offence. As a result of eating fast food, they are getting overweight or obese, also this act makes them habitual of junk food which they might seek from visitors. 

Videos of animals being teased and molested often take rounds on social media platforms, many people either laugh or show their concern, at the sight of tails of animals being tied with firecrackers, hanged by ropes, eating poisoned food; and the list of cruelty is endless but no one goes to its roots. While the main reason to be attributed for this menace is ignorance the other cause is the old and less strict laws as most of them involve meagre sum like from Rs10 to 100 as punishment. Even after prohibiting the trade of exotic skin and fur, illegal wildlife trade has been thriving in States like Bengal and North East. Therefore it is crucial to not only check offenders from time to time but is also vital to aware people at the mass level.

Conclusion 

We all are the children of mother earth whom she nurtures with lots of love and without being partial. It is time that we(humans) change our outlook towards animal brutality and start becoming sensitive to their issues. Be it anyone human or an animal both suffer equally; equal pain and equal happiness. The only difference is that we are vocal about our emotions but these voiceless creatures cannot speak a word against their violence, demand for rights, freedom or safety. Sexual harassment is a black spot from which even our animals are not spared. Till when we will be commercialising their lives for skin, fur, milk, etc. When the milk of a cow wanes they are either sold to slaughterhouses or are left to live on their own. Animal cruelty cases have risen and are quite common but the unfortunate part is that we don't have proper data of their harassment. Similarly, our stray animals often get tortured. The other side of the story is that majority of street dogs are not vaccinated and sterilised; a large number of people die because of rabies. Therefore people not only harass the animals but also the animal feeders/activists as they take it to be a threat. It is true that rabies is a big problem but it cannot be a justification for cruelty. All we need is a humane approach. Our laws are also not stringent, the fact that an offender getting away with his cruelty by paying a meagre amount of 50Rs tells a lot about the state of Laws. 

Animal rights and welfare is not all about stray dogs and cats, but there are thousand other species who undergo exploitation and pain on a daily basis. We cannot turn a blind eye upon their problems being a cohabitant of this planet. Those who are ignorant they don't know how nature's balance is maintained by different species. Certainly, laws are not enough until humans learn to have compassion and appreciate the human-animal symbiotic relationship. It is still not late as they say, better late than never that we pledge to make a difference and clean the blood stains of past.

Authored by: Avinash Kumar 

 Co. Author:   Priyanka Kumari