Experts Agree, THIS Animal law needs to Change in 2018

We live in a world where each one of us is fighting to make our presence felt. While we are raising our voices against the injustice happening against us; there are numerous animals who suffer harassment, confinement, and slaughter. The number of crimes against animals is increasing rapidly, and a well-structured and implemented system of law is of urgent need.

It is often said that animal rights in India are considerably better in comparison to other countries yet there are some which need to be revised.  We took the opinion of animal activists and animal lovers on an animal law they would like to see changed or created in 2018; here’s what they had to say:

Speaking of animal laws and treatment, Erika Abrams (co-founder, Animal Aid Unlimited) says “The penalties for conviction of cruelty are very low and they need to be increased. I don’t think animal exploitation is alright up to any point. We need to remember that animal welfare improvements are vitally important but it just steps towards animal rights and it is not a good enough solution.”

Image Courtesy: Erika Abrams/fb

According to The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (PCA) - the fine for killing, beating, riding or causing any form of suffering to an animal is rupees 50 which can go up to rupees  100 if another offense is committed within 3 years of the first one. The law came into the public eye in 2016 when Shaktimaan, a police horse was brutally beaten up by a BJP MLA in Dehradun. It led to a public outcry, especially by the animal activists, who demanded the fine amount to be raised. The horse eventually died, and yet the fine still remains the same and the incident didn't change the law.

Below are the details from PCA Act, 1960 taken from  envfor.nic.in, this outlines the parameters on the basis of which the fine can be charged:

Image Courtesy: envfor.nic.in

Aneeha Patwardhan (India outreach manager, Vegan Outreach) says, “The penalty of 50 rupees needs to be changed. Moreover, I think farm animals should get some legal protection. Right now, we just treat them as objects.” Swarnali Roy (North India manager, HSI) speaking against the PCA act bail amount said: “The punishment should be high as it is very nominal for animal killing at the moment.”

Other activists like Darshana Muzumdar (Living Free Pune) added that “Animals should be recognized as citizens of India. We need to make people aware that just because they are a different species doesn’t make them any less. The bigger challenge would be to get politicians to accept that this (animal rights) is something we really need to work on.”

The PCA has caused many people to question animal rights in India and it continues to be one of the most talked about issues amongst many different people. However, many agree that laws pertaining to animals in this country are far better than we actually think. “I think the fine for animal cruelty needed to be increased 20 years ago. Apart from this, a lot of laws in India are better than many countries, they are just not enforced” remarked Julie O’Neill (The Save movement) on the question. Dawn William (GM, Blue Cross of India) had a similar opinion. He said, “The legislation in India is very strong. You just have to register your case and you get the culprit convicted of the offense that they have committed. Except for improving the penalty, I don’t think that anything else is required.”

A fine of mere 50 rupees for killing or causing suffering to an animal actually portrays the value we have for other beings. There may be laws against animal cruelty and their treatment, but proper implementation of these laws still seems like a distant dream.

Public opinion

It’s not just the influencers and activists of the world who are voicing their opinion though, we found 100s of comments on Facebook that spoke to the outrage and grief regarding these laws.

In an active FB group, Prateek Mishra Adv said, “PCA Act offences are non-cognizable which means that offenders cannot be arrested by police without previous court orders. It is the biggest drawback.” Nitin Jain in a comment mentioned that “the most important law we need is to make unnatural animal breeding illegal and we would have big victory for animals.”

Speaking about the implementation of laws, Tejas Mahajan said “The laws only work if they can be enforced. The most loved animals in India are dogs and cats, and even the laws created to protect them are not working. Jallikattu etc. are other examples of failed attempts. There are several NGOs campaigning for bigger cages for hens etc. too, which is counter-productive to the movement. Our aim should be to create more vegans because only then such laws can be implemented.”

Overall the outrage from many can be felt, Samprati Jain says “India stands nowhere as compared to many well-developed countries. Take the USA for instance, animal abuse is a federal crime over there. And in India, one gets bailed on a fine of RS 50.”

What can we do?

Voicing an opinion or educating the masses about the injustice towards animals can only help so much. One way in which change can be effected is to file a case with the help of an animal rights lawyer who knows the existing laws. Educating yourself on the laws and then seeking the right help to implement them is a good way in which you can do your part.

Electing better candidates locally and in higher seats of government, who share your opinion about animal rights, is another way to slowly create the change you want to see. Another good way to directly create awareness is to file petitions on change.org or by volunteering. If you're currently an activist, it’s also important to increase one’s knowledge and be more organized, this is possible at boot camps conducted by FIAPO. 

Lastly, if you haven’t already, going vegan and making this lifestyle change is probably the biggest thing you can do right this hot-minute. Let’s hope Indian laws which safeguard the protection and rights of all its beings are given more importance this year so that by the end of 2018, we can truly be grateful for the changes.

Like this?

Read? What is Animal Farming and How does it Affect us?

Read more? The Aftermath of the Jallikattu Protest