Monday, 06 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Animal rights activists of Dehradun gathered at the Buddha temple on Sunday to advocate for the personhood status for animals. Raising slogans against animal abuse, the activists conveyed a message condemning the exploitation of animals for human interests. Holding placards and banners, the activists sought to raise awareness about speciesism—an unjust prejudice that deems humans superior to animals. Animal rights activist Yogesh Shivan said, “There is no moral difference between killing a dog and killing a goat or killing a human- they all suffer equally and feel the same pain.”
Another activist Khushi highlighted the lack of awareness about inhuman “standard practices” in the animal agriculture industry, shedding light on the separation of mother and offspring in dairy farms, painful artificial insemination, confinement of cows and inhuman abandonment and/or slaughtering of male calves.
She drew attention to India’s significant role as a leading exporter of beef and leather, attributing this to the practices within the dairy industry. The primary demand voiced by the activists was the acknowledgment of animals as sentient beings and the rejection of the term and treatment of them as “livestock”. They urged the government to grant legal personhood status to animals and called for a complete ban on industries where animals are exploited.
One of the organisers of the demonstration, Anurupa stressed on the need to recognise the basic freedom of animals that is their birthright. She emphasised the absurdity of profiting from the suffering of these sentient beings and urged society to view animals as individuals rather than objects of pleasure.Responding to concerns about economic impact, another activist Shashank emphasised the importance of approaching the issue from the perspective of social justice. He drew parallels with the rejection of child labour, stating, “When there is a social justice issue, we should think from the victim’s perspective.”
