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. Sticking to facts, a persistent follow-up and constantly looking for new ways to achieve its aims has led BWC to success in many instances.
1977: Monkey Exports Banned
Monkeys Saved from Torture
In 1977, the Rt Hon Muriel, the Lady Dowding, the founder of the BWC movement, met the then Prime Minister Mr Morarji Desai in New Delhi and requested him to ban the export of monkeys as they were being subjected to intense cruelty in American and other foreign research laboratories.
1978: Pegasus Award received by BWC
Award from Reader’s Digest for Best Advertisement
The advertisement campaign BWC undertook in 1978 captioned “Pretty, isn’t it?” won the prestigious Reader’s Digest Pegasus Award for highlighting animal exploitation.
1984: Import of Animal Rennet Banned
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.
1987: Export of Frogs’ Legs Banned
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.
1989: ICAR Karakul Lamb Project Closed
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.
1989: Christian Animal Sacrifice abandoned in Goa Humans biting Piglets to Death Stopped In 1989 BWC persuaded the Catholic Church to stop the age old barbaric custom of teenage boys biting a piglet to death at Terekol, Goa in celebration of St John’s Baptism.
1991: Government Ban based on BWC Report, on Tigers, Lions, Panthers, Bears and Monkeys Performing in Circuses, etc.
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.
1991: Amendments suggested by BWC included in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 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) Act 1991.
1992: Ban on Ivory Trade
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.
1996: Camels banned in Mumbai
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.
1997: Dissection made optional in Gujarat Schools
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.
1998: Elephant Show in Mudumalai Sanctuary Stopped
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.
1998: Export of Deer Antlers Banned 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.
1998: Animal Sacrifice-free Village
Goat and Sheep Sacrifice Permanently Stopped In 1998 BWC succeeded in persuading the inhabitants of the Udbur village in Karnataka against ever sacrificing hundreds of goats on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Since then, they have never sacrificed animals. 1998: All India House Journal Competition Award for Compassionate Friend 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.
2001: Veg/Non-veg Symbols on Packaged Foods Mandatory
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 PFA Act 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.
2001: Mini-Zoos Permanently Shut Down 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 traveling ones were shut down. Objections against mini-zoos had been registered periodically over the years after several of them had been investigated.
2002: Meat Lobby Plans Thwarted
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.
2004: Mechanised Slaughterhouse at Amravati Cancelled
No so-called ‘Humane’ Slaughter In 2004 the Amravati Municipal Corporation 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.
2008: 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.
A Animal H Horse O Ox V Vulture B Bird I Insect P Parrot W Whale C Cow J Jagaur Q Queen bee X X-Rayfish D Dog K Kangaroo R Rabbit Y Yak E Elephant L Lion S Sheep Z Zebra F Fox M Monkey T Tiger G Goat N Nightingale U Unicorn
2009: 50% Less Animals Sacrificed at Gadhimai Mela, Nepal Less Animals Beheaded
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