Govt participation vital to protect animal rights: PETA founder

MUMBAI: US-based founder of the leading animal rights group

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

(

PETA

),

Ingrid E Newkirk

(68) said on Friday government interventions and participation is vital for the protection and promotion of animal rights issues.

Newkirk is in Mumbai for a week to do research on the subject of `A world without animal slaves' across the globe.

"I had recently met the Union minister of tourism in Delhi and showed him our investigative video how elephants are tortured and forced train to give joyrides to foreign and Indian tourists. I urged the minister to drop all India Tourism advertisement which show elephant rides, since there is immense pain and suffering of elephants behind these. We are trying to end this slavery of elephants as well,'' said Newkirk, who had founded PETA in 1980 and it now has representation in various countries, including India.

PETA-US is currently the largest animal rights group in the world with 6.5 million members.

"The travel industry is already taking a stand against this elephant abuse, which is why over 100 companies – including TripAdvisor (the world's largest travel website), Thomas Cook, STA Travel, Costco Travel, Majestic Vacations, The Travel Corporation, AdventureLink, Intrepid Travel, and TUI Group – have agreed not to offer elephant rides in their itineraries,'' she added.

This follows the recent letter by Hollywood legend Anjelica Huston calling on the tourism ministry to support a ban and a series of print ads featuring elephants, urging public to say no to these cruel rides.

When asked about the `racism' faced by stray dogs on the city streets, as the gated housing societies shun their entry within the complex and also harass animal feeders, Newkirk reiterated: "The private citizens and animal rights NGOs have over the years done a good job and created a lot of mass awareness about the rights of strays. But once again, the state and central governments need to also take steps forward to help activists with stronger laws, and also in promoting vaccinations and sterilization programmes. Animal lovers will benefit tremendously with government help.''

In the last few years, there is a consolidation of voices to strengthen the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, in order to increase the punishment to animal abusers and also those (including housing societies) who harass animal feeders.

Newkirk added that recently

PETA India

carried out a major sterilization-vaccination drive of 102 community cats in Bandra, and there are similar plans for near future.

She also spoke on the recent controversy about bullock-cart racing, and said: "Bullocks are not built like horses, and so it is painful to force them to run like that, often by twisting their tails or even giving electric shocks on their rear. PETA India had recently filed complaints in rural Maharashtra, how bullocks suffer immense cruelty in such illegal races.''

She added that in the past year alone, PETA India has urged the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee to reduce animal tests, rescued elephant Gajraj after 50 years in chains, and released the first-ever exposé on unwanted chicks who are killed by the meat and egg industries, among other achievements.