Lok Sabha elections: Forum launches drive to expose candidates cruel to animals

PUDUCHERRY: Voice for Voiceless, an animal rights forum, has appealed to voters to elect candidates who can give a voice to the voiceless animals in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Voice for Voiceless Tamil Nadu-Puducherry chapter president G Ashok Raj said the forum launched a campaign to expose candidates contesting the Lok Sabha polls who are cruel to animals.

The forum released a pamphlet titled 'MP Candidate against Animal Welfare' to enable people to send the forms with details of the candidates, their photos, their parties, their states and constituencies with photographic evidence of their cruelty towards animals to 99434 30160 through WhatsApp.

The campaign is initiated only for the welfare of animals without any political motive. “We urge the people and political parties not to use the campaign for political benefits. Animals don’t indulge in politics. People can fill in the pamphlets to expose the candidates, who are cruel to animals,” said Raj.

Politicians always target people and their welfare to garner their votes but seldom think about animals, birds, and other species.

“The world belongs to all species. Every living being has equal rights to live. A government must work for all species. Human beings can live in peace only when all species are protected. Our intention is to make politicians understand this crucial issue and raise their voice in the Parliament for the welfare of animals,” he said.

“This campaign is a chance to identify the candidates against the welfare of the animals. The candidates, after being elected to the Lok Sabha, act against animals. We must identify them and reject them,” he said urging the people to post filled-in pamphlets on social media.

He said most of the politicians were insensitive to animal needs and welfare. “Animals do not have votes. The campaign is an initiative to give voice to the voiceless,” he said.

He quoted Mahatma Gandhi that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated to underscore the significance of the campaign.