By Varda Mehrotra, Executive Director, FIAPO The COVID-19 pandemic has given us food for thought. For some of us, it offers respite and for many others, it has become unbearable. Being locked up isn’t something our species is accustomed to. As a result, the lockdown has taken a toll […]
Re-imagine, Re-invent and Re-build
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) The world woke up one usual, uneventful morning to the news of corona virus, a new zoonotic disease, taking away thousands of lives in a city named Wuhan in China. An unknown city found itself as the focal point amid the world leaders with […]
Compassion in the Time of Corona
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) Empowerment of activists, and NGOs – the voices that speak on behalf of animals – is particularly critical just now during a time of a pandemic, civil disturbances within the country, economic downturn, and unemployment a crackdown on civil society. We face significant challenges. […]
Putting Ideology into Practise
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) An ‘animal lover’ goes to the zoo because he/she wants to observe or photograph the animals that are held captive in those compounds. Perhaps our fascination is innocent and comes from a place of good intent. Of course we want to see a lion […]
The Common Moral Code
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) The last few months have seen an onslaught of new policies and retaliatory citizen protests across the country. We live in uncertain times – changes that impact the very fabric of our Indian constitution and society. And animals, of course are very much a […]
WILD TO CAPTIVITY – LOSS OF INHERENT RIGHTS OF ELEPHANTS
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) Four baby elephants are about to begin an arduous journey of over 2,000 kms from Assam to Gujarat. Separated from their families, confined in cages and loaded on trucks they will be bumped and jolted for days until they reach their destination at the […]
How to look and FEEL good this Diwali with animals!
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) I love Diwali – the festive mood, the decorated markets, meeting friends and family, enjoying yummy vegan treats, putting diyas in my house. But I know it has a darker side too – dogs and birds disoriented from crackers, smoggy evenings, and huge quantities […]
For Dogs’ Sake, Lets Eradicate Rabies
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO) As we come closer to World Rabies Day on 28TH of September, here’s what was happening in a city in India. A child of 7—Manish, was passing by an area one morning, where illegal meat-shops had thrown fresh chickens body parts onto the street, […]
Paradise Lost: The Amazon Fires
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO)
“There is enough for everyone’s need, and not for everyone’s greed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
To feed the 7 billion+ human population of our planet, over 70 billion land animals and almost a trillion marine animals are bred each year. Before being unjustly consumed, these
What Every Young Activist Must Know
By Varda Mehrotra (Executive Director, FIAPO)
As far back as I can remember I was always an animal lover. In my teens, I was having lengthy debates on dinner tables with friends and family, and in my early 20s, I evolved to volunteering with various initiatives to help animals. And
