2001 – 2010

Pledges
After a gap of 25 years, newly worded BWC Pledge forms in English and Hindi were circulated among members informing them it was entirely voluntary. The response indicated that veganism was catching on fast.

Hinsa vs. Ahinsa
Based on BWC’s motto, Hinsa vs. Ahinsa launched on e-mail a year earlier, was printed as a book and distributed to BWC members and others. The first edition till end of 2010 was also published on CD, uploaded on our BWC website and on the BWC page on Face book. It contained messages commemorating special days and themes pertaining to animal rights’ issues. (Every fortnight Hinsa vs. Ahinsa is e-mailed to members and others and once a year selected numbers are printed in a book for members.)

Veg/Non-veg Symbols on Carbonated Waters
As a result of BWC’s continuous appeals to the Government to make it mandatory for carbonated waters to also carry the veg/non-veg symbols, these symbols began being affixed by manufacturers on their drinks. 

Foie gras withdrawn
Pâté de foie gras was on Air India’s first class passengers’ menu until 2008, when BWC objected to it. On getting the know that foie gras is the diseased livers of ducks and geese, obtained through force feeding, some top restaurants in Delhi and department stores promised not to serve or sell it. 

Orkut deleted cruel Communities
In view of Orkut’s policy that they “did not allow violent text or images promoting animal cruelty” BWC approached Google Inc. and they deleted a few communities which narrated horrid stories of how they killed or tortured animals and encouraged others to do so.

Veg @ Lent Recipes
It was decided to annually print thousands of copies of a leaflet entitled Veg @ Lent containing vegan recipes and get them distributed through Churches during Lent. The recipe leaflet was also appreciated by others.

2009 onwards Veg @ Lent recipe leaflets can be downloaded from under Recipes on this website.

50% Less Animals Sacrificed at Gadhimai Mela, Nepal
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.”

Ban on Dhirio stays
Despite political efforts to repeal, the ban on Dhirio bull-fights in Goa, continue.
(Read about this achievement in 1998.)

No More “Live” Dinners for Lions at Gir
Once again in 2008 the issue of live bait arose at Gir National Park. “Lion Shows” were organised: a buffalo/cow calf was tied to one end of a long rope, whereas the other end of the rope was attached to a tractor. As soon as a lion approached the calf, the tractor drove down the hillock (where the tractor and calf were waiting) dragging the animal which made the lion along with other lions run after it. The rope was then cut off and the lions attacked, killed and ate the poor traumatised calf while tourists watched. BWC approached the Chief Minister of Gujarat, drawing his attention to the terribly gruesome show and pointing out that the Forest Department was hand-in-glove with the villagers/farmers who supply and tie down calves and buffaloes as live bait for the Gir lions in order to attract tourists and also cheat the State Government by claiming compensation for their ‘lost’ or killed cattle. 

Bullock-cum-Horse Cart Races Forbidden
For decades BWC opposed not only bullock cart racing but also bullock-cum-horse cart races in blatant violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Political patronage was the main reason why the cruelty continued, however the Ahmednagar SPCA appealed to the Mumbai High Court and the 2008 judgement forbids bullock-cart-horse-cart races. 

Fewer Snakes tortured on Naag Panchmi
Snakes are worshiped on Naag Panchmi. Even in large cities, each snake during the course of the day is hundreds of times subjected to being sprinkled with rice and halad-kumkum (turmeric and red coloured powder) and given milk which snakes never drink. For the safety of humans many of them have had their mouths stitched. It is fortunate that BWC and several other NGOs, and may be the Government too have done something fruitful to put an end to this torture of wild life that clearly attracts the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) (Amendment) Act, 1991, because in 2008, very few snakes were seen in cities like Mumbai and Pune on Naag Panchmi. 

Beauty Without Cruelty’s Phonetic Alphabet
BWC developed the following Phonetic Alphabet for use by animal activists. It was printed in Compassionate Friend and is available as a bookmark.

Varkh/Silver Leaf Manufactured Without Animal Skin
BWC has since 1982 publicised the fact that silver beaten between ox-gut or sheep/goat epidermises cannot be vegetarian. In the early 1980s BWC was successful in convincing the Indian Airlines to stop serving their passengers varkh coated mithai. In 2007 a manufacturer invited BWC to Jaipur to see how he had begun making varkh without animal skin. It was also tested by mithai makers and found to be quite satisfactory. At last long last BWC could recommend a varkh made without animal skin to mithai manufacturers. 

Animal Sacrifices Stopped
On the eve of Dassera 2006 BWC with the help of the Mumbai Police managed to convince people who planned to sacrifice sheep, goats and cocks at the Gaodevi Mandir on Amboli Hill, not to engage in animal slaughter. 

No Animal Gifts
In 2006, BWC was approached by foreign animal activists for help to stop the transfer of an elephant called Djanom from Punjab to the Zoo in Belgrade. The animal was being gifted to them by Maharaja Randhir Singh (Secretary General of the Indian Olympic Association). BWC immediately approached the Central Zoo Authority of India and the Additional Director General of Forests (Wild Life)/Director (Wild Life Preservation) who was heading the CITES Management Authority in India. It made BWC happy that the elephant could not be sent abroad as gifting and exchange of wild animals abroad was banned at the time. 

Camel Sacrifice Stopped
In 2005 some BWC members in Kochi found that two camels had been brought to Kochi for feasting on camel meat during Ramzaan Idd. On receiving their complaint the Kochi Corporation banned their slaughter. The owner of the camels approached the Kerala High Court but before the case could conclude one of the camels died due to poor living conditions and an improper diet. The judgement pronounced that the other camel could not be slaughtered on the grounds that there was no provision for slaughtering camels within the corporation limits, no qualified vet to certify its fitness for slaughter or suitability of its meat for human consumption, and no one licensed to slaughter or sell camel meat. 

Mechanised Slaughterhouse at Amravati Cancelled
In 2004 the Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) planned to set up a mechanised slaughter house covering so-called “humane” slaughter. 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. 

Mass Publicity cum Education
In 2003 during the Pratishtha ceremony of a new Jain Temple at Palitana in Gujarat, BWC was requested by the trustees to put up a stall and it remained up for nearly a fortnight educating lakhs of persons. Telling and informative publicity materials have gone a long way in creating a public awareness of unknown cruelties inflicted upon animals for food, clothing, accessories, household goods, items for sports, entertainment, learning, medicine, research, religion, and so on. 

Pigeons Saved from Fatal Kite String Injuries
How ever careful, when flying a kite, the sharp glass-coated string/manja can unwittingly severely wound birds. It cuts their wings, bodies or feet so deep it results in profuse bleeding, often gruesome death if beheaded. BWC witnessed this at Mumbai’s kabutarkhana/pigeon shelter on Makar Sankranti 2003 and came to the conclusion that although not intentional, flying kites does harm birds. The solutions, including that Government should not declare Makar Sankranti a holiday so less people would fly kites on the day, were widely circulated in the city by BWC, i.e. not to fly kites in crowded areas or near bird colonies, and not to use manja. The happy outcome was that on Makar Sankranti 2005 hardly one injury case arose and was brought for treatment as kites were being flown, presumably without manja, on open grounds and away from tall buildings. 

Laws Protecting Animals
In 2002 special poster entitled “Laws Protecting Animals” was printed and distributed to the Police authorities to display in Maharashtra State. 

Animal Bristle Brushes
Most of the brushes in paint boxes used by school children were Indian sable/mongoose (protected under wildlife laws) hair till BWC complained to the Government of India. In 2002 almost simultaneous nationwide raids with the help of the Wildlife Trust of India, yielded hair of at least 50,000 illegally killed animals. Hog bristles used for making wall painting brushes, although still available, have to a great extent lessened in demand as against non-animal bristle brushes. This BWC thinks is due to the adverse publicity given to the barbaric manner in which the pigs are held down underfoot and their hair yanked out and the fact that non-animal bristle brushes are now cheaper and readily available. 

Meat Lobby Plans Thwarted
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. 

Veg/Non-veg Symbols on Packaged Foods made Mandatory
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. 

Mini-Zoos Permanently Shut Down
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.