A two-day programme on the first of its kind animal law sensitization workshop is being held here in Aizawl organised by Humane Society International/ India.
The workshop which mainly targets stakeholders from law and enforcement will conclude on Thursday.
The workshop has been customized to equip police officers with a thorough understanding of animal welfare laws. India, despite having some of the best animal protection laws in the world, is still lacking severely in the way they are enforced. The hope is to create awareness about animal laws so that police officials can tackle animal cruelty and animal abuse incidents as well as illegal wildlife trade issues. The programme is being attended by 25 government officials of Mizoram.
Joseph Lalchhuana, DIG, Range, Mizoram Police said, “The suffering of animals is immense and intolerable. It is imperative for government officials to work towards animal welfare. We really appreciate the initiative that Humane Society International /India has taken and we are glad to be a part of it. We hope that they conduct more such programs in future.”
NG Jayasimha, managing director for HSI/India, said, “We are so grateful to the Mizoram police to agree so promptly to this training. Police, as we know are the most crucial responders to cruelty. Through this programme, we have helped police champion animal protection in other states and we hope to do the same in Aizawl. This is only the beginning. With us focusing on key issues in Mizoram, we hope to work with the police more closely in the future too.”
Humane Society International/India has been conducting animal law sensitization workshops for police and judicial magistrates across the country for the past five years.
