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Before you discuss an animal experiment publicly or launch a campaign, it is wise to know as much as possible about your target. If you don’t have well-documented, specific complaints with clear demands for change, you’ll appear poorly prepared and won’t be taken seriously. It’s important to become familiar with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Rules Under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, The Wildlife Protection Act 1972, CITES and other national and state laws and regulations pertaining to animals. You can obtain copies of such laws from your state’s ministry of animal husbandry (this ministry would have laws pertaining to animals killed for meat and leather), ministry of environment and forests (this ministry would have laws regarding animals used in zoos and circuses), the Central Zoo Authority, existing animal protection groups, or the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). Animal Laws of India, a book by Maneka Gandhi, Ozair Husain and Raj Panjwani is also a good source. Click here for details on the law, animals and you.
GETTING INFORMATION AND GATHERING STATISTICS
The easiest way to find out where animals are being exploited with regard to zoos, breeding centres, laboratories and circuses is to learn which facilities have registered the animals they house and use with the government (it should be noted, however, that not all facilities take this step despite it being required by law and regulations). Copies of registrations with the ministry of environment and forests or other relevant body are typically sent to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and/or Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA). The AWBI, CPCSEA (if you are dealing with animals used for experimentation) and animal rights organisations may also be able inform you of any violations the company or facility you are looking into has committed.
Most legal slaughterhouses in India operate under the government. Information regarding animals killed there can be obtained from municipal authorities as well as your local ministry of agriculture and animal husbandry. All-India statistics pertaining to animals killed for meat can be obtained from the national ministry of agriculture and information regarding leather production can be obtained from the national ministry of commerce.
Sometimes, when trying to obtain information it helps just to call the facility you are interested in knowing about. For example, if you are trying to learn the schedule of a circus, it may help just to call the circus itself. You will, of course, have to use your best judgement and discretion when speaking to representatives of the facilities of interest. READING PUBLISHED RESEARCH Reading researchers’ articles can be extremely valuable. You may find descriptions of very cruel experiments. It’s useful to be able to cite the experimenters’ own words to expose their abusive conduct. Also, reading the articles can prepare you to publicly criticise the experiments. |
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