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PETA Protest the Cruel Transport of Cattle in Trade to West

For Immediate Release:

7th September 2000

Contact:

Jason Baker 98201 22561

New York –– Holding a sign reading, "Vajpayee: Stop Cruel Cattle Transport", a giant "cow" will follow Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee throughout his visit to the United States-where he is meeting with President Clinton and other leaders in New York and Washington-to protest the suffering of India's cattle in the international leather and meat trade.

To rendezvous with PETA's "cow", who is planning to confront Vajpayee at the U.N. Millennium Summit in New York City today, please call 815-540-7638 (cellular).

Although India has strict laws regarding the humane slaughter of cows, making it illegal to kill the animals in most states, corrupt skin-traders use bribes to smuggle the animals across borders at night. The cows and calves, who are bought under the false pretense that they'll live out their lives on rural farms, are marched to slaughter for days and crammed into lorries, causing many to suffocate, all in direct violation of the Constitution of India. Those who collapse from exhaustion or injury have their eyes smeared with chili peppers and tobacco and their tailbones continuously broken in an effort to keep them moving.

Last week, PETA wrote to Bawa Jain, secretary general of this year's Millennium Peace Summit, urging him to add his voice to those of religious leaders and celebrities, including the Dalai Lama, Swami Satchidananda, Jackie Chan, and Paul McCartney, who are asking the prime minister of India to enforce existing cattle protection laws.

"We are appealing to the prime minister to stop this horribly cruel business," says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk, who has personally followed the Indian "cattle trail."

For more information, please visit www.CowsAreCool.com.