PETA India Promotes Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney to Mentor Emeritus
Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney Will Trade in Her Day-to-Day Duties for a Mentoring Role in PETA India
Tweet-- After showing leadership and dedication in the defence of animals for nearly a decade, changes are afoot for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India Chief Functionary Anuradha Sawhney. The organisation, which recently moved to Pune to save costs, is cementing plans to broaden its reach and is delighted to announce that Anuradha will become mentor emeritus of PETA India in October of this year. She will leave daily office administration and other duties behind to concentrate on program strategies and expansion. A business manager will be appointed to take over some of her duties.
In a ceremony and celebration planned for later this year, PETA India will recognise the many contributions that Anuradha has made to the community through her work for animals. Through Anuradha's leadership, vision and compassion, PETA India has launched many nationwide campaigns that have helped animals. These campaigns have helped result in landmark litigation leading to the closure of illegal zoos in the country and much-needed reforms pertaining to the use of animals in the movie industry. Under Anuradha's direction, PETA India has also carried out dramatic animal rescues from zoos, circuses, abattoirs and laboratories.
In response to pressure from PETA, former Indian Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee directed state governments to enforce animal protection laws pertaining to the transport and slaughter of animals, and Murasoli Maran, the late former minister of commerce and industry, publicly urged Indian state governments to set up committees to ensure the enforcement of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. Under Anuradha's guidance, rules were formed under this act that made it illegal to break animals' tails and put foreign substances into animals' eyes, and the act was also used to address other welfare problems exposed by PETA. Under Anuradha's direction, PETA has carried out many undercover investigations of zoos, circuses and laboratories and has also investigated the leather, dairy and poultry industries. These campaigns have not only ignited grassroots activities designed to raise awareness but have also helped convince the government to implement policies which reduce the suffering of animals in zoos, circuses, laboratories and transport vehicles.
As chief functionary, Anuradha Sawhney was ranked as one of India's 50 most powerful women by Femina magazine. She is considered India's leading authority on animal rights issues by national and international media and is a member of the Animal Welfare Board of India for Maharashtra.
The following are just some PETA's achievements during Anuradha's tenure as chief functionary:
· PETA India has emerged as the foremost animal rights organisation in the country. For two consecutive years, the Limca Book of Records has recognised PETA India as the largest animal rights group in the nation.
· PETA was invited to join the Food and Agricultural Divisional Committee of the BIS and has framed 11 vivisection standards for the BIS. (The transport and circus standards that PETA framed have already been approved and passed by the BIS.) PETA joined the slaughterhouse sectional committee and submitted a revised slaughterhouse code. The organisation is now a special invitee to the legal subcommittee of the Animal Welfare Board of India.
· PETA India's efforts have led to the rescue of more than 100 animals, including lions and tigers, from circuses and zoos across the country. After they were rescued, the animals were placed in rescue centres.
· During Anuradha’s leadership, PETA India has received several awards, including the Red Swastik Award 2008, the Salaam Award 2008, the Nakul Award 2008, the IVC Award 2008, the Chakrvyuh Award 2007 (from the Lalarajpatrai Institute of Management), the Exuberance Award 2006 (from SIES College) and the Indira Award 2005.
· At PETA's urging, the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education ended deadly animal experiments in 2008.
· After PETA exposed cruel laboratory conditions at the National Institute of Virology in Pune, 39 animals were confiscated and taken to a rehabilitation centre.
· In 2007, a PETA campaign led to a ban on the entry of elephants into the city of Mumbai. After the ban was enacted, 15 other states passed similar regulations, preventing elephants entering cities and reducing the danger to these intelligent, vulnerable animals.
"Joining PETA was a dream come true, and I have watched my work for animals lead to real changes in their welfare", says Anuradha Sawnhey. "At PETA, no stone is left unturned in our quest to give animals the justice, respect and compassion that they deserve. I am looking forward to spending another decade helping animals in my new role with PETA India."
"We are very pleased to announce that Anuradha's tireless and vigorous commitment to PETA India will now be focused on teaching others in our organisation how to push the envelope to relieve animal suffering and bring young people up through the ranks", says PETA India Founder Ingrid E Newkirk.
Notes to Editor
Applicants for the post of chief functionary are invited to contact PETA India at jobs@petaindia.org.
For more information about PETA India, please visit PETAIndia.com.