In response to BWC’s appeal to the Trustees of the Goud Saraswat Brahman Temple Trust, Bhuleshwar, Mumbai, and to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, asking them to ensure that thousands of dead fish are not found floating in the Banganga Tank on the last day of Pitru Paksha again this year, no fish died in 2022 because dewatering pumps were installed for aeration purpose.

In April 2022, People for Cattle in India (whose PIL/Public Interest Litigation was supported by Beauty Without Cruelty) obtained another favourable order from the Madras High Court. The earlier order of 2016 had stopped camels from being slaughtered or sacrificed, whereas the recent final order included trafficking and reads “We dispose of it with a direction to the respondents to take all the measures to stop illegal trafficking of camel or slaughtering…” The Judges appreciated the effort of the petitioners.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India via a Notification declared that Silver Leaf or Chandi-ka-warq "shall not be manufactured using any material of animal origin at any stage" after 1 August 2017. BWC spent decades investigating, creating a public awareness, and convincing the Government of India to declare that varkh must be machine-made without using leather.

The National Green Tribunal imposed a nationwide ban on manja used for flying kites. All states have been directed to prohibit its "manufacture, sale, storage, purchase and use". For decades BWC had been campaigning against the use of manja which often resulted in grave injuries and even death to birds – animals and humans too.

Following Beauty Without Cruelty’s complaints to the Environment Ministry officials, in January 2015, Assam banned bulbul-fights. The state also prohibited the traditional Bhogali/Magh Bihu cock and buffalo fights in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

In response to BWC’s request, in July 2014 the Government of India prohibited the import of Foie Gras – liver of ducks, geese or guinea fowls. Its production is extremely cruel: ducks are force fed several times a day with a funnel pushed down their throats till such time as their livers get ten times their normal size. They are then slaughtered and their diseased livers turned into a paste called Pâté de Foie Gras, consumed by gourmets.

In May 2013 on grounds of cruelty and commercialisation of wildlife the Ministry of Environment & Forests eventually rejected all proposals to set up dolphinariums in India. BWC’s first appeal about this was before the dolphin park at Mahabalipuram came up – and closed when the imported dolphins and sea lions died.

Argument citing illegality worked!
BWC effectively brought elephant polo to an end in India. In 2009 the Government of India had directed all captive elephants to be transferred to the Forest Department, and in 2010 the elephant had been declared as India’s heritage animal, thus BWC pointed out that the proposed elephant polo match at Jaipur was illegal. BWC was first successful in convincing the main sponsor to withdraw, following which, the state government was approached to cancel the event. The Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd was also informed that it was illegal for them to promote exhibition elephant polo matches as part of the Maharajas’ Express Royal Sojourn.

Less Animals Beheaded
BWC could not stop the mass slaughter of animals sacrificed at the Gadhimai Mela, Nepal, but with help extended by the Government of India, managed to reduce 50 percent of animals beheaded.

Again in 2014, about 50% buffaloes, goats and chickens from India that were scheduled to be killed were saved.
Nevertheless in July 2015, it was a victory for animal rights activists when under pressure of a Supreme Court of Nepal injunction won on 24 November 2014 by the Nepal Animal Welfare & Research Center, the Secretary of the Gadhimai Temple Trust declared “We have decided to completely stop the practice of animal sacrifice.”

Based on BWC’s motto, Hinsa vs. Ahinsa was launched on e-mail for our members and others, with the view of regularly creating an awareness on different aspects of animal exploitation.

BWC developed the following Phonetic Alphabet for use by animal activists. It was printed in Compassionate Friend and is available as a bookmark.

No so-called “ Humane” Slaughter

In 2004 the Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) planned to set up a mechanised slaughter house. This decision was opposed by the workers of Pashudhan Bachao Samiti. BWC also supported and helped them. Ultimately the AMC declared cancellation of their decision.

Win for Animal Activists

Strong objections were sent by BWC in 2002 to the Prime Minister, Planning Commission, Agriculture Minister and the Press regarding India’s 10th 5-Year Plan which was trivialising animal killing. Also a public signature petition was organised together with like-minded organisations. The response received from the Government was very favourable as the Planning Commission totally rejected the proposals made by the meat lobby.

Mini-Zoos and Travelling-Zoos Closed

In 2001 due to lack of recognition by the Zoo Authority of India as many as 64 mini-zoos and parks including travelling ones were shut down. Objections against mini-zoos had been registered periodically over the years after several of them had been investigated.

Labels on Packaged Foods

Consumer organisations and those working for vegetarianism like BWC kept approaching the Government of India pointing out that it was the right of each and every consumer to know whether vegetarian or non-vegetarian ingredients were used by manufacturers in processed foods and so the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 should be amended. BWC’s first appeal was in 1978. Eventually in 2001 a Government Notification made it mandatory for manufacturers to use a symbol consisting of a colour filled circle/dot inside a large square in brown colour for non-vegetarian packaged foods and in green for vegetarian articles. In 2020 the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India changed the non-veg symbol from a dot to a triangle in order to help persons who were colour blind.

Special Award from Mayaram Surjan Foundation to BWC

BWC’s quarterly journal Compassionate Friend was first published in 1977. Distributed free to all members, it is the only animal rights magazine in India which contains unexaggerated and factual information. In 1998 the IInd All India House Journal Competition organized by the Mayaram Surjan Foundation (DNA Group) presented BWC with their Special Award in the category of publications for Non-Governmental Organizations.

Goat and Sheep Sacrifice Permanently Stopped

In 1998 BWC succeeded in persuading the inhabitants of the Udbur village in Karnataka against sacrificing hundreds of goats on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Since then, they have never sacrificed animals.

Protection for Deer

In 1998 export of manufactured articles and shavings of shed antlers of deer were prohibited by the Director General of Foreign Trade, Government of India. This was in response to representations made by BWC 1992 onwards. Along with shed antlers, hundreds of deer were illegally killed to meet the export demand.

Sanctuary sans Performances

A persistent follow-up by BWC resulted in revealing the illegality of the Elephant Show (a circus within a sanctuary) at Mudumalai, and in 1998 the Government ordered it to be immediately stopped.

Right of Choice for Students

BWC was one of the first organizations which during the 1980s seriously took up the issue of dissection in educational institutions. Finally in response to a petition supported by BWC and other organizations, a Delhi High Court judgment received in May 1997 ruled that School students have a right of choice whether or not to dissect living creatures.

No “Joy rides” on Juhu Beach

In 1996 BWC played a leading role in obtaining a High Court ruling to stop the entry of camels into Mumbai and rehabilitated the existing ones in the Rajasthan desert so that the “Joy rides” on Juhu Beach became history.

Protection for All Elephants

For years BWC strongly objected to the Government’s policy of permitting trade in ivory of African origin. BWC felt that all elephants should be protected – not only our Indian elephants. Finally, the Government in 1992 imposed a total ban in trade in ivory, whether African or Indian, for export or for internal consumption.

Suggestions for Legislation Accepted

BWC gave the Ministry of Environment & Forests (Government of India) a number of suggestions for amending The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Almost all the points raised by BWC including ban on hunting of wild life were incorporated in the new legislation entitled The Wildlife (Protection) (Amendment) Act, 1991: 44 of 1991. (The Act was again amended: 26 of 1993.)

Circuses Without Animals

BWC believes in circuses without animals. In 1991 the Ministry of Environment & Forests (Government of India) requested BWC to prepare a comprehensive report on “Circuses of India”. The Government of India used this report as evidence in the High Court Case wherein the Indian Circus Federation obtained a stay order on the Notification banning the use of tigers, lions, panthers, bears and monkeys in circuses. In 2001 the Supreme Court upheld a Kerala High Court judgement that prohibits circuses from training or using these five species of animals.

Humans biting Piglets to Death Stopped

In 1989 BWC persuaded the Catholic Church to stop the age old barbaric custom of teenage boys dressed in tiger-skin biting a piglet to death at Terekol, Goa, in celebration of St John’s Baptism.

No Breeding for Killing

BWC was able to achieve unimaginable success after a period of 13 years when in 1989 the Indian Council of Agricultural Research reluctantly gave in to BWC’s pleas and scrapped their Karakul lamb project. Karakul lambs imported from the former USSR were being bred for slaughter within 48 hours of their birth. In order to forestall Karakul lamb farming in the country, BWC purchased the entire flock of sheep which were shifted to Deesa in Gujarat where they lived out their natural lifespan.

Protection for Frogs

BWC relentlessly spent over a decade convincing the Government of India to stop exporting frogs’ legs, an exotic food in the West. The ban finally came into force in 1987. Facts such as the barbaric manner in which the frogs’ hind legs were chopped off and the ecological imbalance created were stressed.

Indian Cheese Vegetarian

As a result of a 7 year effort, in 1984 BWC persuaded the Government of India to impose a total ban on the import of animal rennet used in cheese-making. As this ban still exists, all Indian made cheese is free from animal rennet.