Animal rights organisation PETA India has urged the Centre to prohibit advertisements promoting meat on billboards, television, online platforms and other media from October 2, saying the move would honour Mahatma Gandhi’s commitment to ahimsa.
It cited estimates that about 73 per cent of antimicrobials globally are used in animals raised for food and said projections have warned that antimicrobial resistance could cause around two million deaths in India by 2050. PETA India said the proposed ban should cover billboards, television, online and other advertisements for meat beginning October 2, which is observed as Gandhi Jayanti.
“PETA India is requesting that Gandhiji’s legacy of non-violence be honoured by ending meat advertising in the country and encouraging the compassionate, healthy and sustainable meat-free food traditions India has long shared with the world,” PETA India Senior Manager of Vegan and Corporate Projects Dr Kiran Ahuja said. The organisation also said India has a centuries-old tradition of meat-free eating rooted in ahimsa and is home to the world’s largest population of vegetarians.
