The state capital will be one among the five cities in India which will host the ‘Day of Living Free’ - a national event to promote the cause of animal protection - on Saturday.
Besides Thiruvananthapuram, the event will be simultaneously held in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Jaipur, according to the organisers, Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO), a collective of various animal protection groups in the country.
The event will be held from 11 am to 3 pm on the Museum premises here. It will include interactions between ‘Living Free’ volunteers and the public, to spread awareness on a lifestyle free of cruelty to animals.
Information on how to make one’s lifestyle cruelty-free will be shared through leafleting and screening of documentaries. Samples of animal friendly products such as soy milk will also be made available.
The ‘Living Free’ campaign is focused on addressing the impact of factory farms that rear animals on an industrial scale with no thought for their proper care.
The campaign will also spread awareness on the fact that confining animals in tiny spaces and rearing them in inhuman conditions for consumption are in violation of India’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
“Such practices also amount to violation of Article 51 (g) of the Constitution, which states that it is the fundamental duty of every Indian citizen ‘to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures,’’’ a FIAPO spokesperson said.