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Save bull from slaughter, Maneka urges Juan Carlos

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Maneka Gandhi, known for her passionate espousal of animal rights, has asked King Juan Carlos of Spain to help ensure that a bull is not slaughtered.

In a letter to the king, Gandhi said: "I was dismayed to learn that director Salvador Tavora has been given permission to have a bull tortured and slaughtered as a part of his presentation of the opera Carmen on August 11 during the International Festival of Santander."

The month-long festival, being held from August 1 to 31, is one of the oldest in Europe. Carmen is being performed as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations.

The letter by Gandhi, who runs the non-governmental organisation People for Animals, appealed: 'Please will you help?'

She said allowing the slaughter as part of an opera would be 'senseless and barbaric' and 'would undoubtedly inspire public outrage against the arts'.

She said former bullfighters have reported that animals used in bullfights are intentionally debilitated with tranquillisers and beatings to the kidneys and weighed down with heavy weights around their necks for weeks before the fight. They are also confined in the dark for hours before being released into the brightly lit arena.

Gandhi wrote: 'The bull in Tavora's Carmen is certain to suffer in much the same way before it is killed.

'Please use your position to intervene immediately and ensure that this shameless slaughter is not carried out. Caring people are counting on your compassion and your willingness to help an innocent animal and protect artistic integrity.'

Indo-Asian News Service

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