I appreciate your compassion and concern for these animals.

I also want to point out how deep the social conditioning goes even in people who want to take a stand for animals.

I agree with your arguments, but I want to analyze this statement:

"Of course animals are not humans and of course they serve various purposes in our lives."

By saying animals are not human, it of course implies the old social conditioning we are all taught: that humans are not animals.

That somehow, humans are fundamentally different from animals, that "God" made us separate and special.

There is no scientific biological support for the idea that humans are not animals. Our DNA is the DNA of an animal. The way we replicate is the most common way that mammals replicate. Our social tendencies are strongly mirrored in opur biologically closest relative species.

I am therefore taking it a step further.

I say is a is morally wrong, and an act of psychological violence to claim that humans are not animals and are therefore justified in treating animals imhumanely and exploiting them.

I am saying that caging an elephant under inhumane conditions is the same crime as caging human prsioners at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo in inhumane conditions.

Until humans fully understand that destroying the animal kingdom and its environment is equal to destroying ourselves, we are going to continue to justify violence towards animals and the destruction of their environment.

The correct, morally acceptable viewpoint is that all God's creatures are one of "us".

That is why a foundational concept of the Buddha was "compassion for ALL beings." NOT "compassion for humans, but it's ok to abuse and slaughter other creatures".

Unfortunately, you have counter-acted your own argument.

My feeling is that if you said that to a bull elephant in the wild, you'd have some serious explaining to do to keep from getting trampled.

Better to say "we co-exist with elephants as fellow animals on Earth, and there are ways beneficial to us both to help each other, but holding one another in captive, inhumane conditions is not beneficial, in the end, for either of us."

I know you didn't exactly make that claim.

But I want to show that for people who want to do the right thing, part of our process is to always be on the alert for our own social conditioning, and identify and deal with it when it creeps up to sabotage our good efforts.

Thanks for your post Rahul. I quit eating meat after watching Daniel Pearl's murder on the web. I am glad you wrote to the Mumbai City Officials, but we ought to do more. Of all the countries, India abuses her animals more than even her neighbors. We preach Peace, Ahimsa and a coalation of Non Violence, wonder why we still pelt matings dogs and watch the chickens being murder before eating our kababs.

Dear Rahul

Kudos to you for doing this. The poster (?) / ad is really effective. Elephants are amazing creatures, as are all God's children.

love, Heath

Dear Rahul, nice plea for the elephants!! They are beautiful creatures; and in these times, with our wild becoming extinct; it is crucial, to find a way to treausure them, in thier natural environments!

We are every bit as mammal, as any other mammal on this planet... we must remember this link with them!!

I recall in the Peter Sellers movie: The Party; where an elephant is brought in, all painted like the 60's era; with wild patterns and slogans. He was miffed, and ordered the baby elephant washed; and unfolded the story, of how elephants were considered sacred in India. what happened to preserve thier sanctuary as such?

with loving kindness,
North

i will now watch more of your movies
i like elephants

In one of his lectures, Osho says that note how animals continue to look innocent and youthful in spite of their age but humans they grow unattractive as they grow old.

Human exploitation of animals is certainly shameful. There is a way of making the animals useful to our society without making their life a living hell but anything that causes another being emotional, physical,etc. pain, is immoral.

I hope there is a better way of mobilizing the strata of society who indulges in this behavior to find other ways of making a living.

An interesting post, i agree with your views ...thanks for making us aware..imagine if you couldn't hear from our beloved CM think of a commom man.keep trying..

It’s true you know. I have just come back from a ten day trip to Gangotri, Uttarkashi and Mussoorie. The environment there is phenomenally beautiful-but it made so angry that everywhere you go there are plastic bags and mounds of rubbish lining the mountain roads. It’s such a shame, because this sort of waste has a severe impact on species living in the environment. I just don't understand the lack of civic sense. Throwing crap out of the window, anywhere, everywhere. It’s such an irresponsible way to live. Human beings can really be very selfish. Regarding the elephant-one of the places we stayed in was owned by a man who runs the Elephant Walk Lodge in Haridwar (I haven't heard of it - or been there as yet). He was explaining that the elephants used to cross into the nature reserve and drink the water from the lake-so the villagers complained. The government consequently ordered the creation of a ditch-in order to prevent the elephants from reaching the water. The man explained that one night the elephants came to drink the water-but of course came across the ditch-and couldn’t cross over to get to the water. After much discussion amongst themselves and trumpeting and chattering, the Matriarch (the Herd is always led by the Matriarch) communicated to her herd to push the mud back into the ditch so that they could cross. Clever! I think we need to start appreciating our environment and the animals that we live alongside on a daily basis, that maintain the equilibrium in the ecosystem. Will we ever learn? Or is it too late?

Rahul

Much better story than the missing shorts:) I will bring all the elephants into my innerverse and resonate with their joy, and happiness that they bring to the hearts of all the children and adults who remember we are brothers and sisters not forgotten. love patty

This is Manoj. I am the junior moderator for Spiritual Simplicity which is a video membership site by John Harricharan a very close friend of Deepak Chopra. I have just joined Spiritual Simplicity. I like what you are doing Rahul. I think you are doing a great job and the message you are trying to convey to the younger generation is great...

I wish you good luck and hope to meet you some day

Manoj
www.spiritual-simplicity.com

Funny thing I was thinking about this all of yesterday and then saw this up. Yesterday I had to deal with the adventure of finding two sets of birds in cages at of all places our oil storage facilities!

Before I continue let me say a bit about myself up front so it will help the stories flow with less confusion if possible. I work as a process engineer in oil and gas on my home island of Trinidad. Did post grad deg in environmental engineering too and think my true calling is to be a writer of some sort hence my hobbies in writing and which lead to opening a very small prod company the other day which lead to some work with kids, a home for children and theatre.

Trinidad is part or the republic of Trinidad and Tobago a twin island Caribbean nation just off the coast of Venezuela. We arent like the typical perception of the Caribbean island at all. As we have a booming energy economy small by global standard but large when you look at the population and size of the islands. Tobago is much smaller and diff as it is more to the norht east of Trinidad and farer from Trinidad than Venezuela and so Tobago is more like the typical Caribbean island with the tourist and beaches etc while Trinidad is more bustly than the rest of the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago are both different from Venezuela though as it was a former British colony in the last although we were once Spanish owned too. But it was the Brits who held the noose to us for the longest time. And so our official language is English and we are populated by 1.3 million people of which 45% are descended from Indians who came here after the slave trade as indentured labourers really a subtler form of slavery after slavery ended given conditions etc. All under the lovely British rule of the late 19th century. And 45% African descendants of the slaves who came before. Rest is mixed race and bits of whites descended from europeans and some bits of chinese and syrian etc. In terms of religion 25% catholic, 25% hindu, 10% islam and then several christian groups -presbyterian, anglican, evangelical etc and a very small group know as spiritual baptist which is like a mix of old african stuff with christianity...even smaller group of sikhs etc that more mill with the hindu mainstream more or less. Hindus are mostly Sanatanist but some Vedic and Sai Baba followers etc...Muslims are mostly Sunni with very very small groups of other kinds I guess but never heard of any Sufis. Very small Bahai group but they tend to be voiciferous.

Anyway so back to my story...

I saw the birds and my comment in our local trini dialect of English to some of the fellas on the plant was "Why allyuh doh free them birds" and then they said to me I should be asking the owner over there...and they say to the guy "She want to free your birds" and he says "Once she willing to pay for them" Now I never said I was going to free the birds but already misquoted now and realising the price of these birds are apparently TT$1500 a piece (something like US$240)I suddenly realise these birds are valuable property and if they happen to be lost or freed by another or by their good luck. Well I didnt want the guy thinking I did it and accusing me or next thing you know a criminal offence! Anyway after making it clear I never said "I wanted to free the birds" but "why all yuh dont free" to the group really more in the sense of what is their take on the whole thing of these birds in a little cage in an oil facility! I proceed to question the owner perhaps to jab at his conscience?

"Why you keeping these birds in these little cages?" I ask

"Nah them accustom them tame" he says

"But why them bird from Venezuela?" me again

"Yea" he again

"But ent they from the forest and thing like where it cooler and have shade from trees" then I point to the sky and explain "And look at the big beautiful sky them birds could be flying" I say now really feeling for the poor things thinking how beautiful their life must have been and how now it must be so hot and stuffy and yet they sing!

Anyway he proceeds to let me know that he brings them to the work place albeit a oil storage facility because the birds get socialised more that way and become even tamer and they also learn to sing better and hence fetch a higher price so like their price can now go up to TT$6000!

I think for him it is all bout the money. And look at how beautiful animals really are that even in such adversity (perceived on my part) they still since. I think the guy tames his conscience by thinking the birds like it so I say my perception cause whom am I to tell I mean Im more projected or elaborating on how Id feel if I was the bird. I guess empathising the only way I know how with them. But surely just as people dont like to be trapped birds would hate it too and had to be way way more cause I mean hence the term "free as a bird" I mean surely they preferred to be out there soaring in the skies!

So it must have been my lucky day yesterday but then after that conversation as me are going out to lunch this guy as we are turning out of the facility decided to eye a goat grazing in a field as a potential meal(hypothetically). All of them contractors doing work for me (as the company rep) knowing my persuasions (ive been vegetarian all my life)decided to side with me and tell him how inhumane he is! I thought then is the word really inhumane? I mean does the world yet recognise the idea of killing animals for food as barbaric and cruel ...inhumane?

Anyway got me thinking and now saw this post today!

Should we eat meat? I think I agree with the bit Deepak Chopra writes in his cookbook bout that in vedic traditions or aryuveda it is best recommended not to eat meat etc but not to strain yourself and I love his example about how if an aunt say makes you chicken soup dont refuse it now if she insists cause you have just adopted the aryuvedic way of eating etc.(not quoting book here)I appreciate what he says and thinks he puts it across in such a lovely way as he is talking about it in the sense that the love she prepares this with to reject that is way more unhealthy than to eat the healthy food. But that is for your well being but what of that of the chickens?!

Should we eat meat? Do animals have souls? I like yogi-one figure they do and they are just fellow souls on this earth. I dont know if it is we can actually reincarnate as animals like how the ISKCON (Hare Krsna's) version of the Gita puts it across? Or neither can I see how Gary Zukav's put it across in his Seat of My Soul where he says animals have group souls like the cat soul the dog soul etc and like the dolphin soul in our time has decided to leave this realm cause they believe that their purpose on earth is no longer needed cause people have not heeded their call or allowed them or given them the attention so they cant fulfill their purpose of spreading joy to humans? So now they as a collective soul have decided to beach themselves so they can exit the earth. I dont knwo but animals do seem more connected than the humans no?

Anyway really should I have freed the bird? I think I have not stepped into that realm of action so far as I see it as not my right to invade another's right. I see it that it should be that people come to their own understandings that is how I feed it to my conscience...althoguh it doesnt always buy it! But then too people who fight for causes I find too often end up more like the thing they are fighting against to get their way. I mean didnt Mother Durga herself show this cause she had to become like Kali and Vishnu had to become Narsingh etc? And really all activists sometimes go to the extremes where they are hurting and harming so many others too! So I dont want to be like that either...I think the most you can do is hope people find it in their hearts. Not be like Van Helsings and haunt vampires..the Dracula and become more like him ourselves - I think Francis Ford Coppola's version of Dracula really show this well. I mean was Van Helsing even more a mad man?

But really I also think isnt it about time people realise that just like once humans even enslaved under humans...well and still do today but just not as openly and blantantly...but then one day was the light. Like in the film "Amazing Grace" when will someone one day sing for the animals? I think the film by the same name as the song which is a loosely adapted version of the famous abolotionist William Wilberforce paints him in such a lovely light. In particular I like how he felt more to stay at home and sit in the grass and admire the beauty of nature but then went to parliament to do his will.

But who will be the abolitionist of today for the animals? PETA? Bridgitte Bardot? Paul Mc Cartney? Jain monks? Tippy Hedren? Me? You?

I think I may have already started in a sense cause a few wks ago I was forced to take action against a boy who came with this man to work in our yard and insisted on entrappin a manicou he found roaming freely in our grounds! My mother and the man who brought him were pleading with him. I was still in sleepwear inside of the house and overheard the commotion and was really ticked when my neices came before me crying to say that the man was takign the manicou and it was bleeding at the noose that he put around it! My mother and the man there were explaing to the boy he couldnt take it and we strongly suspected he didnt want it for a pet but as a meal! I ended up striking up a conversation seemingly with my mother but directed towards the boy that he didnt have to stay and work in our yard (as he wasnt asked to but came with the man a whole longer story) and that he should free the manicou and leave immediately. This is after my mother and they had explained several times much more nicely to him. The man there told my mother that he didnt know I spoke in that voice to her! And my mother told him he didnt hear nothign as yet!

The thing is the man should have know better as he was the one who took this fascination in me and my work after seeing my theatre production of alll things titled Me Eat Manicou? And inspired by a manicou I saw in my yard. So obviously! The manicou by the way is a local name for an opposum here and people do eat it here! Now later on my mother told everyone that she realise she wasnt a leader and that she was a follower and really not at all assertive like her daughter who was able to do just with a projection of her voice without being seen (as I was still in night clothes and so didnt want to be seen) what she couldnt so in the flesh after so many attempts. She also laced into the story bout how cruel people could be or think as the manicou had all its young all over its body waling (my mom didnt realise until I told her that they are marsupials and so have pouches etc etc)

So maybe I am an abolinist already? But what of the little boy? Did a behave like a beast with him? Did I scare him? Was he going to eat them or really take them as pets? But then what right of him to take them though?

And what of the man who wrote in tha paper about my theatre prod and Me Eat Manicou? And who knew that a manicou at my gate was what inspired me ...was he not like killing the star of my show? Me Eat Manicou? Or not I think I would have been really miffed by the idea of taking the manicous! Especially if they were to be eaten! And my neices crying for them especially Kajol made it just worse! Anyway there it is I the beast...the abolitionist!

Do you eat manicou?

Before I close I'd like to know I always thought India loved their animals though? I mean I know they have a lot of poor people and arent even children made to work? So isnt some of the issues there with the animals more survival ones? And I saw this amazing episode on the travel channel about people living in temples with rats and they drink the same milk! How come they dont get leptospirosis or something is this the power of faith? Or have they over the yrs adapted and developed and immunity cause the milk had rat faeces and flies in it too! Living with the rats!

And I have always heard stories of this temple in Delhi where Jains take care of injured animals like even pigeons? And what about the monkeys allowed to roam freely as little versions of Hanuman? I read this very entertaining book once called of "Red Earth and Pouring Rain" by Vikram Chandra and thought it very amusing a tale esp how the monkey began to type and all the interweaving bout his past life (oh in his case he was human...a soldier in his past life) and how hanuman (representing monkeys) and ganesh (representing story tellers)pleaded for extension of his life with Yamraj...very entertaining? So is it then that in India the people in some parts and cases etc really cant do better? Isnt this a different scenario than like the guy at my work who has a good job in an oil company but yet still trades birds as goods

Hello!
Firstly, that's really nice of you to be a part of this PETA campaign. Celebrities always add some horsepower to a cause.

Even the most well-meaning of us unknowingly exploit animals for things as inconsequential as, say, a leather shoe!
It's just that we choose not to think about things we are guilty of, so that life doesn't become uncomfortable. And that's the difference between pioneers and common people. Pioneers are not afraid of the truth, and seek it actively.

Animal Rights is a tricky issue though, esp. when it comes to non-vegetarian food and medical research.
Though even herbivorous animals are predators eventually (predating on plant life), I would rather that people were generally herbivorous, just to prevent the stress waves that come from killing an organism which can feel.

But medical research is a tougher issue... If we stop using animals, it will come to a standstill... and one may argue that if by using one life, you can save many others, then it's worth it... but the things is, what right have we to exploit another species to save our own? It's not only a point of quantity, but also quality... Are human lives really that precious? Which sounds a bit inhuman... to stop helping ppl even though you can... So, I don't know what to think about it... except this that
1) animals should be protected generally
2) medical research should continue but judiciously, and every effort should be made to control human population to strike a balance

Rahul,

Thanks for writing the letter to the Chief Minister and appearing in the PETA ad! Your influence will surely make people consider the plight of elephants and move them to take a stand.

hi rahul: read your latest post. have you heard any reply from CM Vilas Rao Deshmukh? hello to manoj from trinidad and tobago. loved tnt.

sindhu

hi rahul: read your latest post. have you heard any reply from CM Vilas Rao Deshmukh? hello to manoj from trinidad and tobago. loved tnt.

sindhu

Who is Manoj?

Recommended reading:

Art historian John Berger's 1977 classic essay "Why Look At Animals?" (available in a collection of essays published in a book titled "About Looking").

He explores the changing relationships of humans and animals over time.

The essay covers the topic thoroughly: from early humans' beleif that animals were intermediaries with god(s) to the way in which Cartesian logic rendered animals souless to the function of zoos as colonial trophy cases.

hey there Rahul....iam really impressed....kudos to you....i hail from pune and never did i think that all those "cute" elephants you see on MG road (pune camp)....might just be victims of malnutrition fatigue and most of all us...let me know if there is something a common person like me can do to help....catch you later...Praachi

Ohh!! I didn't know you blogged!! And its actually pretty nice to know that you do! To say I am surprised would be an understatement!! ;) Read a couple of your other blogs and it was great to discover the writer in you!(great choice of words and no spelling mistakes!! I love that!)

And yes .. grammatical errors are INDEED a huge put-off! :D

Anyway .. coming back to this post .. if the CM never replied why don't u try giving him a call? I am guessing you are in a position to get in touch with him personally!

Ohh!! I didn't know you blogged!! And its actually pretty nice to know that you do! To say I am surprised would be an understatement!! ;) Read a couple of your other blogs and it was great to discover the writer in you!(great choice of words and no spelling mistakes!! I love that!)

And yes .. grammatical errors are INDEED a huge put-off! :D

Anyway .. coming back to this post .. if the CM never replied why don't u try giving him a call? I am guessing you are in a position to get in touch with him personally!

Talking about elephants, there’s this very moving 14 minutes documentary film call “ In search of a job” made by a journalist from Assam, about the plight of elephants in the region. If you haven’t seen it yet, Please do…it’s a heart breaking docu film especially for people who love animals…

By the way, Great Post!

"Crazed junkie whore"...you don't need to worry about comments anymore...now that the first page of Delhi times literally shouts out in bold red about your blog!
We're all crazy about blog comments actually...but *sigh*

Great post.. Actually more thought provoking! And yes, by the way,the poster is damn cool! :)

Just thinking aloud....
I stopped going to zoos many years ago. It saddens me to see big majestic creatures in small confined spaces. It's just as bad seeing small animals in tiny enclosures. Then I see cruelty and a lack of compassion of humans towards other humans....
I heard about an experiment into behavior at some university not so long ago, where students were given roles as prison guards (uniforms and all). It was suprising how cruel some of the 'perfectly good and normal' students became once in a position of power. It got so bad, they had to terminate the experiment. It's difficult to predict the impact of circumstances on people....

Why are people cruel or lacking in compassion? Is there something we can do to help them find their compassion? Are we in touch with our own?

There are people with really tough lives. Poverty, hardship, insecurity, greed, suffering, hopelessness....do these contribute to a lack of caring? Do we understand why some people don't show compassion? Food for thought I think.....

Sunil

Just thinking aloud....
I stopped going to zoos many years ago. It saddens me to see big majestic creatures in small confined spaces. It's just as bad seeing small animals in tiny enclosures. Then I see cruelty and a lack of compassion of humans towards other humans....
I heard about an experiment into behavior at some university not so long ago, where students were given roles as prison guards (uniforms and all). It was suprising how cruel some of the 'perfectly good and normal' students became once in a position of power. It got so bad, they had to terminate the experiment. It's difficult to predict the impact of circumstances on people....

Why are people cruel or lacking in compassion? Is there something we can do to help them find their compassion? Are we in touch with our own?

There are people with really tough lives. Poverty, hardship, insecurity, greed, suffering, hopelessness....do these contribute to a lack of caring? Do we understand why some people don't show compassion? Food for thought I think.....

Sunil

Just thinking aloud....
I stopped going to zoos many years ago. It saddens me to see big majestic creatures in small confined spaces. It's just as bad seeing small animals in tiny enclosures. Then I see cruelty and a lack of compassion of humans towards other humans....
I heard about an experiment into behavior at some university not so long ago, where students were given roles as prison guards (uniforms and all). It was suprising how cruel some of the 'perfectly good and normal' students became once in a position of power. It got so bad, they had to terminate the experiment. It's difficult to predict the impact of circumstances on people....

Why are people cruel or lacking in compassion? Is there something we can do to help them find their compassion? Are we in touch with our own?

There are people with really tough lives. Poverty, hardship, insecurity, greed, suffering, hopelessness....do these contribute to a lack of caring? Do we understand why some people don't show compassion? Food for thought I think.....

Sunil

Just thinking aloud....
I stopped going to zoos many years ago. It saddens me to see big majestic creatures in small confined spaces. It's just as bad seeing small animals in tiny enclosures. Then I see cruelty and a lack of compassion of humans towards other humans....
I heard about an experiment into behavior at some university not so long ago, where students were given roles as prison guards (uniforms and all). It was suprising how cruel some of the 'perfectly good and normal' students became once in a position of power. It got so bad, they had to terminate the experiment. It's difficult to predict the impact of circumstances on people....

Why are people cruel or lacking in compassion? Is there something we can do to help them find their compassion? Are we in touch with our own?

There are people with really tough lives. Poverty, hardship, insecurity, greed, suffering, hopelessness....do these contribute to a lack of caring? Do we understand why some people don't show compassion? Food for thought I think.....

Sunil

Just thinking aloud....
I stopped going to zoos many years ago. It saddens me to see big majestic creatures in small confined spaces. It's just as bad seeing small animals in tiny enclosures. Then I see cruelty and a lack of compassion of humans towards other humans....
I heard about an experiment into behavior at some university not so long ago, where students were given roles as prison guards (uniforms and all). It was suprising how cruel some of the 'perfectly good and normal' students became once in a position of power. It got so bad, they had to terminate the experiment. It's difficult to predict the impact of circumstances on people....

Why are people cruel or lacking in compassion? Is there something we can do to help them find their compassion? Are we in touch with our own?

There are people with really tough lives. Poverty, hardship, insecurity, greed, suffering, hopelessness....do these contribute to a lack of caring? Do we understand why some people don't show compassion? Food for thought I think.....

Sunil

Sorry about the multiple entries! My first posting - not much seemed to happen after I pressed submit...so I pressed it again....and again....!

Dear Rahul,

Thank you so much for taking a stand for our four footed friends. Most humans are unaware of their true intelligence and sensitivity.

"The Language of Silence" by J. Allen Boone is a wonderful testimony to the connectivity we have with the animal world.

hmmm...thought provoking indeed..
It is a sad reality..and the silence and inactivity on the part of the government is dissapointing
but then aren't we the ones who clap up every time we see an elephant trudging down the street
point and crane to get a mere glimpse of the poor tortured creature
we are also the ones who go to the zoo to watch these innocent captives wasting away behind lonely bars
we are the ones who give money to beggers and indulge in stupid rituals..
we are the ones who hire them to add glitter to our parties...forcing them to put up a show..to do things they were never born to do..for what? for a few moments of fun..a few laughs..we take away their lives their freedom their rights..
so in my view, its in our hands to stop this, instead of blaming the government or the mahoots..if we don't give them any incentive to exploit the animals..would they?

its nice to see people like you taking an initiative to spread awareness about an issue like this :)
umang