Remarkable Achievements

To date, every year since its inception, BWC has achieved some thing! To see ALL our Achievements please click here.

With specific goals in mind Beauty Without Cruelty has sincerely carried out its work, however kept a low profile. Most tasks undertaken have been difficult, often seemed impossible to achieve, but frustration has never made the organization give up even when implementation was stalled. Sticking to the facts, a persistent follow-up and constantly looking for new ways to achieve its aims has led BWC to success in many instances.

Our REMARKABLE Achievements are:

2022: Thousands of Banganga Tank Fish Saved

In response to BWC’s appeal to the Trustees of the Goud Saraswat Brahman Temple Trust, Bhuleshwar, Mumbai, and to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, asking them to ensure that thousands of dead fish are not found floating in the Banganga Tank on the last day of Pitru Paksha again this year, no fish died in 2022 because dewatering pumps were installed for aeration purpose.

 



2022: Illegal Camel Trafficking & Slaughter Halted

In April 2022, People for Cattle in India (whose PIL/Public Interest Litigation was supported by Beauty Without Cruelty) obtained another favourable order from the Madras High Court. The earlier order of 2016 had stopped camels from being slaughtered or sacrificed, whereas the recent final order included trafficking and reads “We dispose of it with a direction to the respondents to take all the measures to stop illegal trafficking of camel or slaughtering…” The Judges appreciated the effort of the petitioners.

 

2020: No Camel Sacrificed

Not a single camel was slaughtered in India for Bakri Eid 2020. BWC wrote to the Prime Minister, and Chief Ministers with copies to all District Magistrates and Police of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala, because in the past camels had either being killed or appeals had been made for their sacrifice in these states. We sent them the landmark Judgement of the Madras High Court and requested them to stop entry, sale and slaughter of camels. Meanwhile, Rajasthan assured us they would stop camels being smuggled out. Since the Border Security Force was short of camels, in 2014 the state had passed laws for their protection. BWC also approached the Animal Welfare Board of India following which a circular was issued by the Secretary to all states’ Chief Secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Animal Husbandry Directors.

 

 


2019: Camel Sacrifices halted in Uttar Pradesh

BWC approached over 55 persons including the Prime Minister of India, Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, District Magistrates, Bureaucrats and Police personnel of Uttar Pradesh, the Animal Welfare Board of India as also many others in the UP administration requesting them to stop the slaughter of camels that occur two days after Bakri Eid. We succeeded in as much that the state government ensured that a mandi where hundreds of camels were traded for sacrifice each year before the festival was not organised in Mau, the Police located 5 camels in Varanasi, 22 in Meerut with the help of camera drones, 2 more were rescued from Jaunpur, and all sent back to Rajasthan.

 


2018: Notification banning ALL animals in Circuses

BWC’s continuous demand since 1990 bore fruit and on 28 November 2018 the Government notified The Performing Animals (Registration) (Amendment) Rules, 2018 which stated at 13A: Prohibition on exhibiting and training of animals for specified performances - No animals shall be used for any performances or exhibition at any circus or mobile entertainment facility.

 


2018: No Marine Oceanarium at Somnath

In response to BWC asking the Gujarat state government to reconsider setting up a Marine Oceanarium at Somnath, the government replied that they did not plan to establish it.

 

2017: Varkh made using Leather Banned

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India via a Notification declared that Silver Leaf or Chandi-ka-warq "shall not be manufactured using any material of animal origin at any stage" after 1 August 2017. BWC spent decades investigating, creating a public awareness, and convincing the Government of India to declare that varkh must be machine-made without using leather.

 


2015: Bulbul-fights Banned

Following Beauty Without Cruelty’s complaints to the Environment Ministry officials, in January 2015, Assam banned bulbul-fights. The state also prohibited the traditional Bhogali/Magh Bihu cock and buffalo fights in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

 

2014: India joins over a dozen countries that have banned the Import of Foie Gras

In response to BWC’s request, in July 2014 the Government of India prohibited the import of Foie Gras – liver of ducks, geese or guinea fowls. Its production is extremely cruel: ducks are force fed several times a day with a funnel pushed down their throats till such time as their livers get ten times their normal size. They are then slaughtered and their diseased livers turned into a paste called Pâté de Foie Gras, consumed by gourmets.

 

2013: Plans to set up Dolphinariums dropped

In May 2013 on grounds of cruelty and commercialisation of wildlife the Ministry of Environment & Forests eventually rejected all proposals to set up dolphinariums in India. BWC’s first appeal about this was before the dolphin park at Mahabalipuram came up – and closed when the imported dolphins and sea lions died.

 

2011: End to Elephant Polo in India

Argument citing illegality worked!
BWC effectively brought elephant polo to an end in India. In 2009 the Government of India had directed all captive elephants to be transferred to the Forest Department, and in 2010 the elephant had been declared as India’s heritage animal, thus BWC pointed out that the proposed elephant polo match at Jaipur was illegal. BWC was first successful in convincing the main sponsor to withdraw, following which, the state government was approached to cancel the event. The Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd was also informed that it was illegal for them to promote exhibition elephant polo matches as part of the Maharajas’ Express Royal Sojourn.

 

2009 & 2014: 50% Less Animals Sacrificed at Gadhimai Mela, Nepal

Again in 2014, about 50% buffaloes, goats and chickens from India that were scheduled to be killed were saved.
Nevertheless in July 2015, it was a victory for animal rights activists when under pressure of a Supreme Court of Nepal injunction won on 24 November 2014 by the Nepal Animal Welfare & Research Center, the Secretary of the Gadhimai Temple Trust declared “We have decided to completely stop the practice of animal sacrifice.”

 

2008: Beauty Without Cruelty’s Phonetic Alphabet

A Animal H Horse  O Ox  V Vulture
B Bird  I Insect  P Parrot  W Whale
C Cow J Jaguar Q Queen bee X X-Ray fish
D Dog  K Kangaroo   R Rabbit  Y Yak
E Elephant L Lion   S Sheep Z Zebra
F Fox  M Monkey  T Tiger    
G Goat N Nightingale U Unicorn    

2004: Mechanised Slaughterhouse at Amravati Cancelled

 

2002: Meat Lobby Plans Thwarted

 

2001: Mini-Zoos Permanently Shut Down

 

2001: Veg/Non-Veg Symbols on Packaged Foods made Mandatory

 

1998: All India House Journal Competition Award for Compassionate Friend

 

1998: Animal Sacrifice-free Village

 

1998: Export of Deer Antlers Banned

 

1998: Elephant Show in Mudumalai Sanctuary Stopped

 

1997: Dissection made Optional in Gujarat Schools

 

1996: Camels Banned in Mumbai

 

1992: Total Ban on Ivory Trade

 

1991: Amendments suggested by BWC included in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

 

1991: Based on BWC Report, Government Ban on Tigers, Lions, Panthers, Bears and Monkeys Performing in Circuses, etc.

 

1989: Christian Animal Sacrifice Abandoned in Goa

 

1989: ICAR Karakul Lamb Project Closed

 

1987: Export of Frogs’ Legs Banned

 

1984: Import of Animal Rennet Banned


Indian Cheese Vegetarian

As a result of a 7 year effort, in 1984 BWC persuaded the Government of India to impose a total ban on the import of animal rennet used in cheese-making. As this ban still exists, all Indian made cheese is free from animal rennet.

 

1978: Pegasus Award received by BWC


Award from Reader’s Digest for Best Advertisement

The advertisement campaign BWC undertook in 1978 captioned “Pretty, isn’t it?” won the prestigious Reader’s Digest Pegasus Award for highlighting animal exploitation.

 

1977: Monkey Exports Banned


Monkeys Saved from Torture

In 1977, the Rt Hon Muriel, Lady Dowding, the founder of the BWC movement, met the then Prime Minister Mr Morarji Desai in New Delhi and requested him to ban the export of monkeys as they were being subjected to intense cruelty in American and other foreign research laboratories.