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The launch of the #NoMore50 campaign calling for stronger and higher penalties for animal cruelty kicked off on Thursday, May 12 with several parliamentarians and celebrities joining hands for the campaign.
The campaign includes a series of videos from Indian celebrities, including Usha Uthup, Sudesh Bhosle, Anup Jalota, Tara Sharma, Arman Mallik and others, urging the Ministry of Environment to increase punishment for animal cruelty in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. #NoMore50 is a campaign from Humane Society International/India and People for Animals.
View the videos here
The penalty in the PCA Act for killing, mutilating and maiming an animal has never been revised. Animal abusers have taken advantage of this feeble law and have continued to inflict unsurmountable amount of cruelty on animals. Currently, the maximum penalty even for the most heinous form of animal abuse is a petty Rs 50.
Poonam Mahajan, MP from North Mumbai, has introduced a private members bill seeking an increase in the penalties for animal cruelty through an amendment of the PCA Act. Leaders from different political parties like Shashi Tharoor, Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, Satyapal Singh, Varun Gandhi, Meenakshi Lekhi and several others already support the campaign.
Harish Iyer, director of strategic partnerships for HSI/India, said, “It gives us immense strength to see that people from all walks of life are making a strong statement against animal abuse in the country. The penalties in the PCA Act, in its current framework, serve no purpose to protect and benefit animals. We hope that with this massive support we are able to move the government to introduce the much needed amendment in the PCA Act.”
