International Animal Rights Day: Animals have the Same ‘Rights’ as Humans
While humans are considered as the most powerful being of this planet, it has been proven time and again that we are powerless without our fellow living organisms. All animals play a key role in human wellness and environmental protection. Some aid to bring out the nutrients from the cycle, while others help in decomposition, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. In a nutshell, all animals and plants in the ecosystem co-exist and balance each other without taking the ecological balance off. Thus, it is imperative to protect its existence.
History is written very differently when one talks about the kindness of the human being. While everyone is busy celebrating the joyful month of December as Christmas is approaching, it is vital that we all look within and think, and further remind ourselves of how we have been killing and mistreating animals for hundreds of years. The cause varied from fun, entertainment, for its meat, art or in the name of religion. Though, none of these is in any way justifiable.
Even though humans are also one of the animal species, billions of other sentient beings like dogs, horses, elephants, pangolins, cows, monkeys, rhinoceros, fish, silkworms, pigs, camels, goats, sea creatures, etc. suffer and die at our hands every year.
Animals have suffered heavily for years, here a brief as to how
The pain and emotions felt by animals are neglected by our innumerable irresponsible activities such as;
- Riding of Horses and Camels for fun, making them run fast in races to earn money or ride them in the name of culture at weddings;
- Cows and buffaloes are a great source of milk for more than 70% of the world population;
- Killing of Silkworms and Silk moths to cater to a vain fashion need of humans;
- Monkeys and rats are made to go through traumatic procedures majorly under five experiments in laboratories:
- Pharmaceutical tests
- Vaccine tests
- Military experiments and training
- Maternal- deprivation experiments
- Invasive brain experiments
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Observing the International Animal Rights Day on the same day of Human Rights – December 10
On December 10, 1948, the General assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to prevent World War II.
It is no apparent mere coincidence that International Animal Rights Day is also commemorated on December 10, the same day as the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The idea behind this was to extend these inalienable rights to all living creatures populating our planet, even if they belong to species different from ours.
In the year 1988, animal rights association started a campaign to highlight the violence carried out against animals, which “can’t vote, protest or lobby MPs for protection”. It has drawn up a Universal Declaration of Animal Rights, according to which all creatures have the right to life and freedom just like humans. The campaign’s objective is lucid to convince people that all creatures deserve kindness and respect and are born with a right to freedom.
This day, i.e. the International Animal Rights Day is an admirable opportunity to remind everyone that respect, freedom, dignity, and justice are comprehensive to all living beings and the desire to live a life worth living is not confined to a particular species, sex or race.
On this day, many NGO and other organisations working in the field of animal welfare organise rallies, events, adoption centres, donation camps, etc. to raise awareness towards this sensitive yet neglected topic of animal rights.
Animals are treated as ‘Legal Persons’ in a few states in India
India is amongst a few world countries which have landmark judgements passed by the Supreme Court and State High Courts showcasing clear support towards animal welfare.
In June 2019, in a landmark judgement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that animals and birds have legal rights like humans and declared citizens the “guardians of animal kingdom” with a duty to ensure their welfare and protection.
The same Bench took it to a notch higher by stating that there would be a ban on the use of spike sticks, harness or yoke with spikes, knobs, projections and other sharp instruments in Haryana for avoiding bruises, swelling, abrasions and severe pain caused to animals. Further, The Bench has also fixed load to be carried by animals and banned their deployment for pulling vehicles in extreme cold and heat conditions.
A similar judgement is also passed by the Uttarakhand High Court in the year 2018.
The ban of the practice of Jallikattu (bull-wrestling) and bullock cart racing in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, respectively, by Supreme Court of India, was a stepping stone in this direction.
To say the least, humans are the most evolved of all other living organisms and we should not need a Court’s order or direction to understand or exercise empathy towards other fellow living beings.
