The governments of five significant states—Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat—banned the use of gestation crates to hold pigs after appeals from Mercy For Animals India. The bans came within two months of the campaign’s launch. Even actor and well-known animal activist John Abraham supported the campaign, writing an urgent letter to the authorities on behalf of Mercy For Animals India.
After Mercy For Animals India’s persistent two-year campaign, the Food Safety Standards Authority of India notified the Food Safety and Standards (Vegan Food) Regulations, 2021. This means each vegan food item produced, packaged, or imported into the country will have a distinct logo to help consumers identify them as vegan. The move will help existing vegans and those looking to make the switch.
Earlier this year, Sonakshi Sinha appeared in a Mercy For Animals India ad encouraging people to love and respect animals. Sonakshi said on Instagram: “Animals suffer terrible neglect and abuse. Just because animals can’t speak for their rights, it’s inhuman to deprive them of it. The only thing animals expect from us is Love.” Kudos to Sonakshi for being a voice for animals. Last year, John Abraham appeared in an ad for Mercy For Animals India urging people to be kind to animals.
People For Animals, Humane Society International-India, and Mercy For Animals India held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to raise awareness about the plight of hens confined in cruel battery cages by the egg industry. A volunteer in a hen costume sat in a cage, with no room to move, before a backdrop photo showing rows and rows of actual hens crowded in battery cages. Several volunteers in hen masks engaged the public and held signs reading, “End cruelty to 40 crore hens: Ban battery cages”.
- Celebrities Voice Support Throughout World Vegan Month
To mark World Vegan Month 2021, Mercy For Animals India sent vegan goodies to celebrities and influencers who have chosen a plant-based lifestyle. Actors Sadaa Sayed, Anushka Manchanda, Ashmit Patel, Ayesha Takia, and Daksha Nagarkar donned our merchandise, encouraging people to be kinder to animals and the planet.
Activists from Mercy For Animals India Foundation and People For Animals dressed in pig and chicken costumes displayed placards reading, “Freedom for All”, in a call to ban gestation crates for pigs and battery cages for laying hens.