Target: Deputy Commissioner (District Magistrate) Vishakha Yadav, Papum Pare District, Arunachal Pradesh, India
Goal: Enforce and retain the election-period ban on animal slaughter used to bribe voters, with prosecutions and lasting safeguards.
A recent district order barred the slaughter of mithun, pigs, and other animals during the election period because meat distribution has allegedly been used as an inducement to sway voters. Such practices not only subvert free and fair elections, they also risk normalizing organized cruelty under the guise of campaign activity. When animals are killed to buy influence, both ethics and public safety suffer.
The directive applies uniformly across the district and allows only narrow, pre-approved exceptions for genuine religious ceremonies or marriages. This preventive step deserves firm execution, because election-linked animal slaughter has allegedly involved mass killing, coercive mobilization, and the exploitation of animals for political gain. Experience elsewhere shows that once money, meat, and votes are entangled, cruelty can escalate and evidence disappears quickly.
To keep elections clean and animals safe, the administration should rigorously enforce the ban, file prompt cases against violators, and publish transparent enforcement data after polls conclude. The district should also create a rapid complaint line, conduct joint inspections with police and animal-welfare officers, and recommend state-level adoption of similar rules. This petition urges strict enforcement now and a pathway to codify these protections for future election cycles.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Deputy Commissioner Yadav,
We applaud the decision to prohibit animal slaughter during the election period because meat distribution has allegedly been used to influence voters. This step recognizes that animals should not be exploited as political currency and that election integrity suffers when inducements are tied to cruelty.
We respectfully request rigorous enforcement throughout the Model Code of Conduct period, including swift FIRs against alleged organizers, public reporting of inspections and seizures, and coordination with police, municipal bodies, and animal-welfare boards. Narrow, pre-approved exceptions can remain, but any event linked to campaigning should be stopped and prosecuted. To prevent backsliding, we also urge you to recommend a standing policy to the state so future elections benefit from the same safeguards.
By acting decisively against coercive meat-for-votes schemes, your office can protect both democratic norms and vulnerable animals. Thank you for prioritizing fairness, accountability, and humane governance.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: kallerna
