FIAPO, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations, recently came across a horrific incident in an environmental studies textbook for 4th class children, asking them to suffocate a cat on the pretext of an experiment on understanding the importance of breathing. What a paradox! Teaching children as young as 9, to kill a sentient being to learn about the importance of air for survival!
FIAPO immediately took to action, reaching out to the publication house, PP Publications to remove the illegal (and unethical) content advocating for a cruel experiment on kittens.
The publication agreed to the absurdity and apologised for the cruel and offensive content with a written apology, committing to the following:
- Withdrawing the publication from the distributors
- Not selling from the existing stock
- Not reprinting the same content for the next academic year
- Being mindful of things published about animals, especially anything unethical or illegal, and be mindful of people’s sentiments
Read the full letter here.
As a voice for animal rights in India, we at FIAPO believe in the sanctity of respecting all life forms, and strongly believe the seeds of compassion must be planted in young minds, early on in childhood. Thus, with humility, we request all of you to please be mindful of any such discrepancies in our educational institutions and take action immediately for anyone violating the laws! You can visit www.fileanfir.fiapo.org for more information on the animal protection laws of India.
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(Featured image courtesy Kim Bartlett – Animal People, Inc.)
