New Delhi: Following opposition from animal
welfare activists, Khadi and Village Industries Commission has
banned the sale and display of catapults at its outlets across
the country due to its potential use for killing birds and
animals.
"Catapults will no more be sold or put up for display in
our sale outlets or fairs and exhibitions organised by us
across the country," a senior KVIC official said.
"It is against Mahatama Gandhi's philosophy of
non-violence which is also the motto of KVIC. Instructions
regarding ban has been issued to all offices under our
jurisdiction," he said.
Welcoming the step to ban the "weapon," Ashish Verma, an
activist of the animal welfare NGO, People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA), said it would go a long way in
saving the life of animals.
He said children have been using catapults to hit birds,
cows, dogs and other animals, often blinding or killing them.
"Sun-dried mud mixed with crushed glass, metal balls,
marbles and stones are used in catapults to aim at the
animals," animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi said.
She said the rubber used to make catapults is smuggled
from Myanmar. "This rubber makes slingshots more lethal,
enabling shooters to send the shots farther and faster," the
BJP MP said.
Till now, KVIC and KVI Board had been putting up
catapults for sale and display at its various fairs and
exhibitions as a traditional product of Nagaland.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, October 30, 2009, 21:11