A child with a Cupid Chicken at a PETA protest against chicken consumption in City Centre last month. (AFP)

With frequent catwalk protests and targeted campaigns, animal rights activists enjoy one of the more turbulent relationships in public life. This makes People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)?s new venture a strange twist from the usual acrimonious exchanges. PETA has launched a new website, www.petadishoom.com. The aim of the website is to promote animal rights as well as encourage and assist vegetarianism and vegan lifestyles among the youth.

The site features prizes like autographed posters of Pamela Anderson or John Abraham, a CD by pop group Swami, iPods, mobile phones, T-shirts, wallets, caps and wristbands, that can be won for individual acts of kindness towards animals as part of the Street Team initiative.

The campus section includes tips on what students can do to help animals, as well as information on bands such as Jal, Pentagram, Indian Ocean, Parikrama and others which have supported PETA at college festivals across the country.

The website even has a Page 3?, which details rescues and other victories for animals over the past 25 years by celebs like singer Moby, basketball star Dennis Rodman and musician Anoushka Shankar. A gossip section has news about Shahid Kapur and Kareena Kapoor, Alicia Silverstone, Pink and others.

Puja Joshi of www.petaindia.org said that the fundamental principles of vegetarianism are the key to a world that is kinder to animals. ?The change starts at home with the choices we make on what is on our plates.?

However, petadishoom.com lists Nestle syrups as acceptable for vegans as they, apparently, cause no animal suffering. On the other hand, organisations like UNICEF and WHO find Nestle?s marketing methods of powder milk in sub-Saharan Africa unacceptable.

A spokesperson for PETA India said: ?We have no position on Nestle products. We simply want to provide a list of products that are acceptable for vegans.?

But Joshi maintained that it is not just the welfare of animals that is at stake, but also of humans. ?Veganism is increasingly becoming popular because it is better for animals and for our health. It?s no secret that eating animal products, which are full of saturated fat, cholesterol, pesticide hormones and antibiotics, leads to many diseases,? she said, adding ?South Asians have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease. And every fourth diabetic is an Indian?.

It seems PETA has captured an audience with the new website. Like-minded youngsters converge on the site to talk not only about animal rights, but also about fashion and celebrities. Joshi said: ?The response to the site is fantastic. We?ve been appreciated for putting up a list of cosmetic companies that do not test their products on animals.?

She added: ?I think people of all ages are compassionate. Musician Sir Paul McCartney once said, ?If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.??

Patrick Pringle

What?s on your mind this week

Celebration time: A handful of crimson powder was all that these kids of Little Champions Montessori House, in Ballygunge, needed to usher in Holi a day in advance. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Lost on melody

I was really disappointed with the write-up ?Budding band? by Mayuri Mukherjee (February 28). I attended the launch of the music band, Blendz, at Vidya Mandir on February 24 and was really impressed by its skilled performance. Such a remarkable launch of a music band is rare these days. I doubt whether the comments made by Bikram Ghosh are true. Blendz was awesome and the band needs all the good wishes of music critics and professionals. Ghosh was quoted as saying ?the hands need to move a little faster?. But I feel Blendz stressed on melody and not just rhythm.

Manju,
Address not given

I was much annoyed with ?Budding band? (February 28). To begin with, the writer had mentioned that one of the members of Blendz was a sarod player. I don?t remember watching or hearing sarod being played at the programme. Also, the comment made by Bikram Ghosh that the ?hands need to move a little faster? is not appreciated. He is a rhythm player, while the performance of Blendz was based on melody. Ghosh was not the chief guest, as mentioned, but the guest performer at the event and was accompanying santoor player Tarun Bhattacharya.

Name and address not given.

Poll pain

An efficient administration can be supported only by the spine of a sound education system. But in our country, compromises are made and elections given a priority over education. How can universities and educational institutions think of conducting examinations on Sundays and national holidays, that too, when election campaigns are at their peak? On most holidays, the party workers go around screaming into their microphones and blocking roads with political processions. The students are the worst sufferers in this poll chaos.

Tanushri Akuli,
Business management, CU

National disgrace

Media reports say that prior to President Bush?s arrival at Raj Ghat, some American security personnel allegedly conducted a search on the memorial premises with sniffer dogs. Usually, animals are not allowed on the premises, then why was an exception made in this case? Rules should not be flouted even if the visitor is a VVIP. Our government need not make such concessions for heads of state visiting the country.

Godhuli Goswami,
2nd yr English (hons), Lady Brabourne College

Chit Chat

Stage smart

I watched Death of a Godot at Gyan Manch on March 10. The play was a take-off, a sort of deconstruction, on Samuel Beckett?s Waiting for Godot.

Most of us while away our lives waiting for the unidentifiable something. But what happens when reality comes crashing in and we realise that the something will not be coming? Do we consciously move on, or stay the same, hoping that somehow, by some twist of fate, it will still come? The play explored this theme.

Written and directed by Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, the production revolved around four characters, played by Shion Guha (Didi), Ragini Ghosh (Gogo), Soumyajit Bhattacharya (Pozzo) and Raka Sarkhel (Lucky). Bodhisatwa essayed a small role as the messenger.

It was a great play, especially coming from so young a director. The lighting effects were really good, as were the costumes and make-up. The acting was very mature, too. In fact, the lead actors, Didi and Gogo, made it seem just like an everyday conversation.

The play might be held again sometime in April. All those who missed it the first time should surely catch it then.

Tanima Chowdhury,
Class XI, Ashok Hall