top of page

By:

Minal Sancheti

2 May 2026 at 12:26:53 pm

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was...

Funeral for animals

Mumbai: On the occasion of National Animal Rights Day, a funeral was held for all the voiceless creatures that humans have killed for selfish reasons. The act was a campaign and was a brainchild of Animal Climate and Health in collaboration with Our Planet Theirs Too. The purpose was to spread awareness about animal cruelty. The campaign took place at Carter Road Amphitheatre and so a crowd of both young and old supported the cause. Speaking about animal cruelty, recently the internet was flooded with a viral video of a group of men at Mira Road taking a piglet to a locality where goats were brought for religious sacrifice. Aparjita Ashish, the founder and director of Animal Climate and Health said, “It is an act of cruelty to kill animals for religious sacrifice but to protest against this they were harassing a baby pig. The poor pig was screaming for his life. So how’s that right? If you want to protest, protest peacefully.” Ashish also comments on the Apex Judiciary’s decision of euthanising terminally ill dogs, “If the dog has a serious illness like rabies and is in a lot of pain, with a doctor’s permission and in a peaceful manner, they should be euthanised. The apex court also spoke about the ABC or animal birth control which if done with correct procedures, can help bring down issues related to the stray dogs. Many times the process is wrong so the animals become subject to cruelty.” She even added that the strays should not be displaced as that will leave them confused. This is also an act of ill treatment. The occasion saw a large number of gatherers. According to the campaigners, being vegan is not just for protecting animals but also for the climate. Ashish explained, “If you see the name of our NGO, it is Animal Climate and Health. So we also talk about the impact of consuming animal products on the environment.” She gives an example of how methane gas is produced because of the dairy animals and how the food and resources to breed animals are so much that it affects the environment. The supporters who participated in the campaign said they also noticed many health benefits of going vegan. Anil Nagpal, a senior citizen and volunteer with the organisation said, “For many years I was going through ill health. I tried every treatment but nothing really helped much. But then someone convinced me to go vegan and since that time my health has improved drastically. After this many people in my circles who used to eat animal products have given up.” When asked what his protein sources are, he said, “I eat lentils and legumes. Vegetables also contain protein.” Ashish claimed that humans have an ego that makes them think they are above animals.

Opposition becomes bold, brutal

Mumbai: In a rare and striking display of unity, the Opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and several other political parties are gearing up for a major protest against the perceived ‘vote-chori’ in Mumbai on Saturday.


The demonstration will seek to highlight what they describe as “glaring irregularities” in the state’s voter lists ahead of the upcoming civic body elections that prevents a level playing field in the polls.


According to MVA leaders, this will be “the first major joint protest action since the 2025 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections”, and is strategically timed to precede the civic polls.


While the Opposition’s united front had put up a rocking performance well in the parliamentary elections, the alliance was rattled in the Assembly polls six months later.


Many leaders have openly cried foul and attributed the setback to alleged discrepancies in the electoral process, including voter list anomalies.


However, last month the issue gained national prominence after Congress’s Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s mega-exposé alleging large-scale riggings of voter lists.


His revelations suddenly energized parties across the country to scrutinize electoral rolls more closely and campaign for transparency in the voting process, pointed out Opposition leaders.


A senior Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary noted that earlier Opposition campaigns questioning the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and VVPAT systems were dismissed by the Election Commission, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and even the judiciary, which referred the matter back to the poll authorities.


However, Gandhi’s revelations in September appear to have reignited public debate, making it increasingly difficult for officials and ruling dispensation to ignore the allegations.


Following the Congress’s lead, leaders such as Aaditya Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray of the MNS have unveiled similar alleged cases of “vote theft” in various constituencies, pointing to what they call a deeper systemic problem.


Changed scenario

Unlike in 2019, when the Congress and undivided NCP had to persuade the Shiv Sena to join the MVA alliance, this time the initiative reportedly comes from the Thackeray cousins, with other allies enthusiastically backing the movement.


Earlier this month, delegations from the MVA and MNS met with state election officials to submit evidence of alleged irregularities, including duplicate names, multiple entries, false deletions, and incorrect addresses. The parties claim there could be ‘over one-crore suspicious entries’ in Maharashtra’s voter lists.


The alliance has made a single, pointed demand that “both state and central poll authorities rectify all discrepancies before conducting the elections to ensure transparency and fairness”.


Following Saturday’s march, Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS may approach the courts to seek directions to postpone the civic polls until all stakeholders are satisfied with the integrity of the voter lists.


March route

The Opposition protest march will begin at Dhobi Talao and conclude at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) - about 1-km - between 1-4 p.m.

Comments

bottom of page