Beauty Without Cruelty

Achievements 1991-2000

To date, every year since its inception, BWC has achieved some thing! To see ALL our Achievements please click here .

With specific goals in mind Beauty Without Cruelty has sincerely carried out its work, however kept a low profile. Most tasks undertaken have been difficult, often seemed impossible to achieve, but frustration has never made the organization give up even when implementation was stalled. Sticking to the facts, a persistent follow-up and constantly looking for new ways to achieve its aims has led BWC to success in many instances.

Our Achievements between 1991 and 2000 are:

2000

Few Dancing Bears
Thousands of leaflets on performing bears were printed and distributed in 2000 to foreign tourists visiting Delhi. It was a joint effort by The Captive Animals’ Protection Society, UK and Beauty Without Cruelty - India. Tourists were urged not to stop and watch so that if there were no patronizing tourists there would be no more performing bears. A few years later not a single dancing bear was found on the Golden Triangle (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra) road route.

Live Bait Not Used for Lion Census
In 2000, BWC had got to know that a Lion Census was planned at the Gir National Park and that calves would be utilised as live bait. In response to our protest, the Gujarat Chief Minister’s office assured us that live baits would not be used. However, as it so happened, the census was cancelled due to early, heavy rainfall!

1999

A Vegetarian Lifestyle

BWC has over the years promoted reverence for all life – dogs and chickens alike. In keeping with its motto BWC – India came out in its 25th year (1999) with a publication (CD and book versions) entitled A Vegetarian Lifestyle. It covered all aspects of our lives and included brand names of packaged consumer products made as per BWC criteria. (Considerable information contained in the book has become out-dated.)

1998

Alternative Learning Programs in Schools
In 1998 Compu-Program sets were donated to 170 State Government run schools and 17 Municipal Corporation schools in Tamil Nadu jointly by the Blue Cross of India and BWC.

Ban on Dhirio upheld and continues
In 1998 despite a High Court judgment banning dhirio (bull fights) in Goa there was a move to legalise them by amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Act which was stopped through the efforts of local bodies and BWC who immediately sent appeals to organizations and individuals in India and abroad requesting they write to the Prime Minister. Again in 2009 BWC's efforts to stop dhirios being legalised in Goa bore fruit when the Congress MP who had moved an amendment to the PCA Act, 1960, to make bullfights legal was asked by the Union Minister of Environment & Forests to withdraw the bill from the Lok Sabha.

Elephant Show in Mudumalai Sanctuary Stopped
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 of India ordered it to be immediately stopped.

Export of Deer Antlers Banned
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.

Animal Sacrifice-free Village
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.

Special Award from Mayaram Surjan Foundation to BWC for Compassionate Friend
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.

1997

Value Based Education
BWC was invited twice in 1997 by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resources Development to submit its views on Value Based Education. BWC emphasized that reverence for life was a value of such fundamental importance that it was an essential factor in the development and promotion of many other important values. BWC recommended that immediate steps be taken by the Government of India for its implementation so that the next generation and generations which follow would positively benefit from it.

So-called “Humane Trap” Voted Against
In 1997, BWC approached the Director, Food & Agriculture, Bureau of Indian Standards concerning India’s stand to vote against the proposed standards of the so-called “humane trap” being promoted by ISO.

Cruelty to Fox averted
In 1997 BWC and CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Bengaluru) worked together to get a court ruling with regard to a the religious custom in Karnataka of capturing and torturing a fox. Although the fox was captured, the cruelties that routinely followed were substantially reduced in as much that its ear was not pierced, it was not mauled by dogs and instead of stitching its mouth it was simply muzzled.

Ostrich Farming Stopped
In 1997 BWC led a public protest and letter writing campaign in Bengaluru against the setting up of ostrich farming in India. The support of the Karnataka State Forest Department had been obtained because the project had the potential to harm the environment and carry the risk of spreading disease. This was soon followed by the Chief Minister of Karnataka’s verbal assurance that “this government will not allow any projects that have the potential to harm the environment or cause disease” referring to the Congo fever problem in ostrich farming and the possibility of another bird flu case like in Hong Kong. Months later in July 1998, BWC along with the local residents of the village of Shirur in Maharashtra carried out another successful public awareness campaign against the setting up of an ostrich farm with the help of a Belgian collaboration.

Dissection made Optional in Gujarat Schools
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.

1996

Camel “Joy rides” Banned in Mumbai
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.

CZA directed Zoos to destroy Carcasses
In view of deer being mysteriously and frequently found dead in several zoos, suspecting poaching of antlers, in 1996 at the behest of BWC the Central Zoo Authority of India directed all zoos in the country to destroy, not auction carcases.

1995

BWC Calendar
With the aim to create a greater awareness of animal rights, BWC began publishing an annual wall calendar for free distribution among members and others.

Halting Clandestine Trade in Wildlife

In 1995, BWC convinced the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) that animal carcasses should be disposed off and not auctioned and put back into circulation. Accordingly, the CZA issued a directive to all zoos in India that disposal of carcasses should be either burying or burning and that none of them should be skinned or made into trophies as it encourages clandestine trade in wildlife.

1994

Film Censored

In 1994 BWC convinced the Central Board of Film Certification to censor certain parts of the film Betaaj Badshah in which the mouth of a leopard had been stitched for its performance.

BWC Investment Guide

In 1994 BWC published its first edition of its Investment Guide. Companies quoted on the Stock Exchange were categorized as per BWC criteria and listed accordingly.

1993

“Pet” Libraries Closed

In 1993 BWC created awareness about the “unique” Pet Libraries which had sprouted up in a few cities and were enthusiastically but unthinkingly supported by animal lovers. They took pride in loaning live creatures like dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoise, fish, snakes and birds (parrots and mynas), all given swanky names. It was dealt with no differently to borrowing books from a library. BWC pointed out that the “pets” go through enormous psychological strain being shifted from one home to another and handled by umpteen humans. Within a short period of time the libraries were successfully convinced and closed down.

1992

Total Ban on Ivory Trade
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.

Rabies Vaccine no longer produced using Sheep Brains
The method of producing rabies vaccine using brains of living sheep was in 1992 finally stopped in favour of other methods including tissue culture. Ten years earlier BWC had investigated and exposed the gruesome cruelty and pressed government to ban this obsolete practice, following which it was being phased out.

1991

Based on BWC Report, Government Bans on Tigers, Lions, Panthers, Bears and Monkeys Performing in Circuses, on Roadside, etc.
BWC believes no animal should be exhibited or trained to perform. 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.

Export Ban on Live Animals and Birds

In 1991, in response to BWC’s representations, the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports wrote: “Barring the export of sheep and goats, we are not permitting the exports of cattle, donkeys, horses, etc. Birds are no longer allowed for export as they have been shifted to Banned List of the Export Policy. (Unfortunately, in 1997 the export of exotic birds of foreign origin was reopened.)

Wildlife Items Destroyed

For the first time ever, in order to bring down the demand for animal products and not put seized wildlife items back into circulation, BWC in collaboration with the Chief Wildlife Warden, Delhi, and the Government of India organized a Bonfire in 1991 when goods worth Rs 7,000,000 were destroyed.

Amendments Suggested by BWC included in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
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.)

100 Buffaloes Saved

At the Mari Jathra and Thingala Jathra in villages around Tumkur, Karnataka, sacrificial beheading of male buffaloes to appease goddess Maramma takes place at annual fairs. In 1991, Beauty Without Cruelty along with Akhil Karnataka Prani Daya Sangh managed to foil the beheading of about 100 buffaloes by contacting localities, distributing leaflets and giving speeches.