Why is animal cruelty rising in India?
Mahatma Gandhi once said “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animal are treated”. India is one of the best performers under the VACI (Voiceless animal cruelty Index), ranking 2nd highest in overall cruelty. However, there has been a significant rise in the animal cruelty in India. Between 2012 and 2016, there were more than 24,000 cases reported under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA).
The rise in animal abuse and cruelty is simply because there is a major loophole in the constitution of India. Since 1950, Indian constitution has been amended 103 times, but PCA has not been amended even once. Draft bill (2011), Animal Welfare Bill (2014), and Private Member Bill (2016) were introduced to seek amendment to the PCA, but none of the three bills were passed by the parliament.
It can be argued that Section 428 and Section 429 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) are laws against the ill-treatment of animals. However, these laws are rarely followed. Another drawback with them is that they both require the killing of animals. Therefore, the protection of animal from pain and suffering is at stake. Section 11 (1) in the prevention of cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, however, punishes if any person causes unnecessary pain and suffering to the animal, but the punishment is unfair. In the case of first offence, fine is less than ten rupees but may extend to fifty rupees. In the case of second or subsequent offence committed within three years of the previous offense, fine is less than twenty-five rupees but it may extend to one hundred rupees or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with both (all of this is stated in the Indian Constitution).
According to the Proportionality doctrine, which is the principle of proportional justice, the punishment of a certain crime should be in proportion to the severity of the crime itself. Here, the crime is not at all proportionate to the punishment. Hence, unfair.
Some recent animal cruelty cases which came in light of the public:
- In Kerala, A local allegedly fed a pregnant elephant a pineapple stuffed with crackers and she, therefore, died.
- A stray dog was poisoned and dumped outside a residence in Ghaziabad.
- A monkey was allegedly hanged to death from a tree in Telangana.
- Two dogs were brutally raped in Maharashtra.
These are few of the many cases that are taking place in India. This brings lots of questions: Is there no humanity left? Do the animals not have the right to live without pain? And most importantly, when are the laws going to change?
Looking at the current situation, there is no clear answer.
What can we do?
The first step is to educate the next generation and raise awareness in the society. Forming NGOs for helping stray animals or just providing food, water, veterinary care and sanitary living conditions, protesting (post COVID), online protesting, joining or forming pressure groups against animal cruelty, and pressurising the government for amending the laws and making it more strict.
Animal cruelty is an important issue and needs to be addressed seriously. Change in attitude of the government and the people is the only way we can stop being inhuman and believing that ALL LIVES MATTER.
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