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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.

Shifting Loyalties, Fragmented Alliances

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

Solapur

As November 20 draws ever closer, the electoral contests in the 11 Assembly segments in Solapur district promise to be fiercely fought ones.


The district has historically been a stronghold for both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition MVA, notably the Congress and the NCP (SP).

Historically, Solapur has been a district in flux: in the 2019 Assembly elections, the BJP secured four of the district’s 11 seats, and subsequently added another in the Pandharpur by-election when it managed to wrest that seat from the then undivided NCP.


In the aftermath of splits within the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Mahayuti now holds eight of the 11 seats, with the two independents veering towards the ruling coalition. Yet, despite a commanding presence that seems unassailable, recent trends in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the alliance lost both the Solapur and Madha constituencies, suggest that the battle for this region is far from a foregone conclusion.


The defection of key leaders and the rise of rebel candidates within both the Mahayuti and MVA camps has added byzantine intrigue to this electoral contest. A record eight rebel candidates have entered the fray, increasing the likelihood of fragmented votes and unpredictable outcomes, especially in constituencies where the margins of victory could be razor-thin. In a district where local feuds often overshadow broader ideological divides, the personal ambitions of these rebels could determine the fate of the election.


The fragmentation within the two major alliances is evident across several key constituencies. Nowhere is this starker than in Solapur City Central, a Congress stronghold, Praniti Shinde, daughter of veteran Congressman and former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, is seeking re-election for a third term. The contest here has turned multi-cornered, with BJP’s Devendra Kothe, CPI(M)’s Narsayya Adam, and Congress’s own Chetan Narote competing alongside AIMIM’s Farooq Shabdi and a rebel NCP candidate, Taufique Shaikh.


The significant Muslim vote in the area, once a reliable source of support for the NCP, is now in danger of splitting, potentially reducing the chances of any single candidate achieving a decisive victory.


In Solapur City North, the BJP’s four-time MLA Vijaykumar Deshmukh faces a challenge from the NCP (SP)’s Mahesh Kothe, but the contest has become more unpredictable due to a rebellion within the BJP ranks. Former mayor Shobha Banshetti is contesting as an independent candidate, drawing support from the area’s significant Lingayat community, a group traditionally aligned with the BJP. The split in the BJP vote could be pivotal, given the area’s strong BJP presence in the recent Lok Sabha elections.


Solapur South, another key constituency, sees BJP’s Subhash Deshmukh defending his seat against Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Amar Patil, with Dharmaraj Kadadi, a prominent Lingayat leader from the NCP, running as an independent.


Factionalism has also affected the PWP bastion of Sangola, where Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) face off against each other in a contest that also involves the PWP’s Dr. Babasaheb Deshmukh. Similarly, the BJP’s Samadhan Awatade, Congress’s Bhagirath Bhalke, and NCP’s Anil Sawant are locked in a triangular battle in Pandharpur.


Amidst the political turmoil, voters in Solapur are increasingly focused on practical issues. The district, reliant on sugarcane farming, faces chronic water shortages. However, these concerns have been overshadowed by local feuds, ticket disputes, and alliance splits.

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