Animals are part of our environment. Sadly, under the present government, they have not received the importance they should have. Whether it is the killing of nilgai and Avni, the tigress in Maharashtra; or the issue of elephants or the unimaginable cruelty to bul ls in jallikattu - they have been given short shrift. The introduction of the new Animal Welfare Bill proposed by the Animal Welfare Board of India has been pending with the MoEFCC for years together.

We can no longer ignore the many issues facing animals and animal welfare must be given its due importance.