Activists associated with ‘Animal Save India’ in Jabalpur city celebrated withdrawal of Livestock Bill 2023 by the Government of India as a mark of victory of animal rights. In a landmark decision reflecting growing concerns for animal rights and climate change, the Livestock and Livestock Products [Importation and Exportation] Bill, 2023 was withdrawn after massive public outcry. The proposed Bill aimed to regulate live export of animals from India faced significant resistance from various quarters. The draft of the Bill was put up on the website of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying for public scrutiny on June 8, 2023.

 

According to Shambhavi and Naman Shah, both Jabalpur-based activists of Animal Save India, when ‘Animal Save India’ found out about Livestock Bill 2023, they took action right away. They understood that transporting live animals is cruel because the animals have to endure long journeys without enough space to move, breathe, or stretch. They are forced to stand in dirty conditions for days on end, which can make them sick and even cause death. To make their voices heard, Animal Save India created a programme that made it easy for people to send e-mails to the Government.

All they had to do was click on a link. They shared this link and a video on their Instagram page, urging everyone to send e-mails. Within just 12 hours, the Government received over 15,000 e-mails.

 

After 72 hours, the number went up to more than 1,00,000. They also carried out offline drive seeking public support and received overwhelming response. This huge response showed how strongly people felt about the cruelty of live animal transport. Because of this public outcry, the Government decided to withdraw its support for the Livestock Bill. Animal Save India’s efforts helped raise awareness about suffering of animals during transport and together with the public, they made a difference. It is important to act quickly to protect millions of innocent lives at risk, said one of their activists from Jabalpur.