New Delhi: Animal rights organisation PETA India has urged the Centre to prohibit advertisements promoting meat on billboards, television, online platforms and other media from October 2, saying the move would honour Mahatma Gandhi's commitment to ahimsa.
In a letter to Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, PETA India called for a nationwide ban on meat advertisements, citing concerns over animal welfare, public health and environment.
"PETA India is requesting that Gandhiji's legacy of non-violence be honoured by ending meat advertising in the country and encouraging the compassionate, healthy and sustainable meat-free food traditions India has long shared with the world," PETA India Senior Manager of Vegan and Corporate Projects Dr Kiran Ahuja said.
The organisation cited restrictions on meat advertising introduced in several European cities, including Amsterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht and Nijmegen, saying such measures were adopted over environmental concerns.
It noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted world leaders at the BRICS Summit, where a traditional and international meat-free spread was served.
The organisation also referred to its investigations into slaughter and transportation practices, alleging that chickens are slaughtered while conscious, cattle and buffaloes are transported in overcrowded vehicles, and goats, sheep and pigs are subjected to cruel handling.
PETA India further raised concerns over antimicrobial resistance, diet-related diseases and the pandemic potential of H5N1 bird flu, saying intensive animal farming and poultry markets can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.
It cited estimates that about 73 per cent of antimicrobials globally are used in animals raised for food and said projections have warned that antimicrobial resistance could cause around two million deaths in India by 2050.
The organisation also said India has a centuries-old tradition of meat-free eating rooted in ahimsa and is home to the world's largest population of vegetarians. PETA India said the proposed ban should cover billboards, television, online and other advertisements for meat beginning October 2, which is observed as Gandhi Jayanti.
