CRUELTY TO SNAKES

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Album in trouble for using animals

- By Our Correspondent

 

 

 

Bhubaneswar: After Rakeysh Mehra's Rang de Basanti, which sparked off

a controversy over the use of animals in movies, comes a video album

of bhajans that has irked the animal lovers in Orissa, by our special

correspondent.

 

The album depicting Lord Shiva with his retenue of snakes has been

dubbed by the activists as commercial exploitation of the animals. The

makers of the bhajan album, however, have described it as a " religious

matter " .

 

Following in footsteps of Ms Maneka Gandhi, who managed to get some

scenes deleted from Rang de Basanti, the state branch of the People

for Animals, in a letter to the chief wildlife warden, has demanded

that the CDs be withdrawn from the market.

 

The album titled Nag Devata has been released by a Cuttack-based World Music.

 

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The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

 

Mr Das said makers of the album have used snakes in all the 10 songs

in the album. One should apply to the Animal Welfare Board stating the

purpose for using the animals. If the board is satisfied then only can

animals be used for filming, he pointed out.

 

The director of the album Jayprakash Mohanty, however, said, " One

cannot praise the lord without using snakes. There is no cruelty in

it. " The World Music has refused to withdraw the CDs from the market,

which is doing good business.

 

Three killed in Orissa accident

 

Bhubaneswar: Three people were killed when two trucks coming from

opposite directions collided head-on at Kuakhia on National Highway 5,

nearly 100 km from here, on Sunday morning, reports our correspondent.

 

According to the police, a Balasore-bound iron-ore laden truck bumped

into another truck coming from Balasore due to thick fog leading to

poor visibility. The drivers of both the ill-fated trucks died on the

spot.