Govt’s involvement vital for animal rights: PETA founder

MUMBAI: Ingrid E Newkirk, founder of the leading animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), says government intervention and participation is vital for the protection and promotion of animal rights.
The US-based Newkirk (68) is here 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 on how elephants are tortured and forced to give joyrides to 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,” said Newkirk, who founded PETA in 1980.
PETA US is the largest animal rights group in the world with 6.5 million members.
Newkirk said more than 100 companies had agreed not to offer elephant rides in their itineraries. This follows a recent letter by Hollywood legend Anjelica Huston calling on the tourism ministry to support a ban and advertisements urging people to say no to these rides.
On stray dogs, Newkirk said: “Private citizens and animal rights NGOs have over the years done a good job and created a lot of 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 vaccination and sterilization programmes.”