Monday, Nov 01, 1999
Bless The Beasts And The Children
- Elaine Rati Kochar
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In India we have a struggle on our hands defending human rights. Most people think it outrageous to consider the feelings and rights of animals. Therefore the piteous state of the latter in our country. Thank God for the people who still persevere for the beasts. I have always been concerned for them and hope to do my small bit. Any spread of ideas, especially through SAWF would help. It is wonderful to be given the opportunity to write for it and also to share my experiences of travel in India with you. I would love to answer any specific questions though the Lonely Planet guides are much more useful!!! I get the chance to travel at least twice a year and intend to do the Garwhal Himals in depth.
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Looking at the web pages, I see some beauty products advertised alongside the articles. It reminds me of a little story I heard a couple of days back. I walk my dogs early morning and meet mothers waiting with their children for the school bus to come and fetch them. One of the mothers, Ruchi, has become a "morning" friend and we chat after the children leave and my dogs have finished dragging me around. She has a little daughter, Smita, four years old, with round, brown eyes in a round smiling face, and shoulder length, brown hair.
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The day was Friday. Ruchi waved goodbye and turned to me. She dreads Saturdays. So does Smita. It is Smita's "Horror" day, her weekly hairwash day. The next day it would be a fight to get Smita into the bathroom. All Ruchi's pleas to Smita to keep her eyes shut while she shampoos her fine hair will be in vain. Smita will, somehow manage to get the shampoo into her eyes. There will be screams of rage from Smita when her eyes smart. Ruchi will try as best as she can to wash out the shampoo while her heart breaks for her little girl. Both will emerge exhausted and tearful. But Ruchi knows that she will go through with it again next Saturday. She also knows that the smarting is temporary and the redness will subside leaving no after effects. Because someone else has suffered for Smita.
Countless dogs, cats, and rabbits among other animals have their eyelids stitched open and their vocal cords cut so that that shampoo can be put into their eyes to test for any hazards to the health of humans. They cannot make a sound while they suffer. They have no say.
All we have to do is look for that small print at the back of any cosmetic bottle, "Not tested on Animals" and "with no animal byproducts." And buy it. A small gesture towards a great cause. Hopefully in India small herbal product manufacturers do not have the resources to test on animals. But the big names surely do. And our refusal to buy products without this assurance may force their hand. A lot of foreign products are not tested on animals and we have a choice. But not so in India. We need to make people aware that animal testing is not necessary for a good cosmetic product.
Next time shampoo gets in your eyes think of the beasts and the children.
Till we Connect again next week...
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