No State for animals, activists rest hopes on new proposals

The death of an elephant in Masinagudi after people at a private resort threw cloth fireballs on it shook the State, but for animal activists, this is just one in a long list of cruelty against animals Tamil Nadu has witnessed. Yet these actions will continue if legal ramifications continue to be lax against these acts, they say.

Tamil Nadu has seen several cases of animal cruelty over the years. One case that received widespread coverage is that of Badhra, the dog thrown off a roof by a medical student in 2016 in Chennai, the video of which went viral. More recently in the city, a man was arrested following CCTV footage of him sexually assaulting four puppies in Madhavaram in March 2019.

In June-July 2020, an increasing number of cases of cruelty against bulls were reported across the State, with one particular case in Krishnagiri where three men in an inebriated state hit a jallikattu bull to death. Following this, the Animal Welfare Board of India wrote to TN government over death of bulls during jallikattu festival.

According to animal activists, the issue lies in lack of legislation and weak penalties. A draft by the government to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, proposes a penalty of up to Rs 75,000 or three times the animal’s cost with up to five years’ jail if an individual’s actions lead to the death of the animal. The existing law proposes a meagre fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50 for any act of cruelty against animals.

“Harsher penalties will act as a deterrent and bring their plight to the limelight,” said animal activist Sai Vignesh, who first reported the Madhavaram case in 2019.

Animal activist Antony Rubin, who took up Bhadra case, says the legal proceedings can be lengthy and stagnant. According to a response by the government in the Parliament, 316 cases of animal cruelty were pending in the Supreme Court of which Tamil Nadu tops with 52 cases.

“Animal activists file FIRs and fight legal battles. Luckily, some lawyers take up animal cruelty cases pro bono, but the process is lengthy. Often, many cases do not have enough evidence, which leads to a lighter sentence,” said Rubin.

Despite all this, animal activists urge locals to report any case of animal cruelty in their vicinity. According to Vignesh, these statistics are crucial in highlighting the number and frequency of animal cruelty and bring about welcome changes in the law.