Cruelty to animals in the name of faith and the proposals by the Environment Ministry (“ >Sanctioning cruelty in the name of faith ”, June 11) are in a way state-sponsored atrocities against creatures that are harmless. I have seen snakes that are caught being subject to immense cruelty. They are crammed into tiny bags and later have their fangs yanked out. Snakes do not drink milk, but in order to make them do so, they are starved. Most of the cosmetics applied to their hoods during religious ceremonies can cause allergies and blindness.
Mr. Prakash Javadekar needs to set aside his religious agenda as he is no more the spokesman of the right-wing party but a responsible minister. Animal activists should also get the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter.
Usha Devi Rao Suddapalli,
Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
