Beat this. The latest to join Anna Hazare’s movement against corruption are the animal rights activists. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations wrote that “animals continue to suffer horrendously due to poor governance and corruption. The India Against Corruption campaign resonates strongly with the animal protection movement.”
If Anna is trying to educate the “countrymen” of Jan Lokpal Bill and on the verge of launching a “second freedom struggle”, the animal rights activists want the PM to focus on how the “dogs are killed mercilessly and the guilty are not even booked, let alone punished.” And there is more.
“Parakeets are frequently caged and used as an added attraction by fortune tellers for fast money, monkeys are made to dance like puppets and cattle and sheep are transported and slaughtered illegally, in addition to the abusive lives they have had.”
While Mr Hazare talks of price rise and inflation, the activists reminded Dr Singh of how “animals are hit, dragged and cruelly handled and are often not provided with even basic necessities such as food, water and veterinary treatment. At the slaughterhouse, they are killed in view of one another and are often dismembered and skinned while they are still conscious.”
And this is all due to “poor governance”, they feel. “Poor governance and deception have conspired to block important animal protection legislation that has been due for a long time.”
And finally the organisation states: “We support Anna Ji and the rest of the country in this movement and are hopeful that at least now, a strong anti corruption legislation is brought in which will bring in the much needed relief to all those who are disempowered, including the animals.”