Editorial - Animal Experimentation and Research in India

Many film personalities recently signed a petition by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) demanding amendments to strengthen the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. According to the petition, a new bill, which would amend the Act, was drafted two years ago but is currently languishing in parliament. "The current Act, passed four decades ago, has not been updated and imposes only minimal fines for even the most heinous cases of cruelty. The fine for any violation of the Act, committed any number of times, is merely Rs. 60. This is hardly a deterrent to those who commit acts of cruelty to the animals". In 1999, PETA had exposed India's cruel underground leather and meat trade. The investigations by PETA revealed the unholy nexus between corrupt traders and officials for smuggling the animals across State borders at night, and those animals that collapse during the march have their tailbones fractured just to keep them moving.