The Horror of the Indian Leather Trade (Sample Letter)

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Kinship Circle <info wrote:

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:59:13 -0600

LETTER/ Tears Of A Cow - India's Leather Trade

 

Kinship Circle Primary - PERMISSION TO CROSS-POST AS WRITTEN

 

SOURCE OF INFORMATION:

The Horror of the Indian Leather Trade

http://www.petaindia.com/feat/f-leathertrade.asp

 

Help Cows Skinned For Leather In India

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/p2indianleather?c=peta2_enews

 

Most American leather goods begin in foreign countries. In India, a top

leather producer, cows die miserably inside slaughterhouses swarming with

flies. Fallen cows drape their heads across each other in 100-degree heat as

they await inhumane death: Workers saw through their necks with dull

knives... PETA investigative video:

http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/prefs.asp?video=skin-trade-ili

 

Anyone who wears leather is likely clothed in leather from from India or

China. Shoes or other goods produced in Italy, the U.S. and other countries

use raw materials (skins) imported from India or China...

 

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SAMPLE LETTER

Feel free to use portions of our letter, but please add some original

thoughts. Hundreds of identical letters may lessen the impact.

=====================================================

 

Dr. K. Elangovan, IAS, Executive Director

Council for Leather Exports

3rd Floor, CMDA Tower II

Gandhi Irwin Bridge Road

Egmore, Chennai 600 008

ph: +91-44-28594367; fax: +91-44-28594363/64

email cle , cle

 

His Excellency Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India

Room 152, South Block

New Delhi 110 001

ph: +91-(0)11-23012312; fax: +91-(0)11-23016857

web email: http://pmindia.nic.in/write.htm

(maximum 500 characters - very short message)

 

Shri Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce & Industry

Government of India

Udyog Bhawan

New Delhi 110 011

ph: +91-(0)11-23061008; fax: +91-(0)11-23061492

email: commerce.hub

 

Dr. K. Elangovan, His Excellency Manmohan Singh, Minister Shri Kamal Nath,

Commerce & Industry:

 

Please initiate humane standards for the transport and slaughter of cows,

buffaloes, sheep and goats used in the Indian leather trade.

 

I urge the Council for Leather Exports to recognize ongoing animal abuse

within the leather industry and implement animal welfare guidelines now.

 

I respectfully ask government officials to enforce anti-cruelty laws and

penalize workers who batter and overload animals; deprive animals of food,

water and shelter; sell abused animals; or inhumanely slaughter animals.

 

Graphic documentation shows pervasive and unlawful abuse, including

unsanitary and hazardous conditions inside slaughterhouses. Fallen cows lie

on floors splattered with blood, feces, guts and urine. Workers drag animals

into abattoirs where they often cut them apart with filthy, dull knives.

Some animals remain conscious as they are skinned and dismembered.

 

Animals gouge and crush each other while transported hundreds of miles in

rickety trucks. Drivers break their legs and necks to cram in more animals.

Investigators have found bullocks and cows tethered by strings pierced

through their noses. They've seen animals whose tails were broken so many

times, swollen, tumor-like joints protruded from their tail areas.

 

Despite assurances from Indian officials, no visible improvements have been

made. Animals are still transported under wretched conditions. Slaughter

facilities are still unhygienic. Unlicensed abattoirs still operate. Small

calves are still illegally butchered to process as leather.

 

Please strengthen animal protections laws in India. I am eager to know about

any reforms that actually enhance the lives of animals.

 

Sincerely,

 

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