Maneka’s experiments with research

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http://www.indian-express.com/full_story.php?content_id=2610

 

Maneka’s experiments with research

 

Animal ‘distress’ leads to govt ban on testing at top

AIDS vaccine centre

 

Sreelatha Menon

 

New Delhi, May 12 MANEKA Gandhi, Minister of

Statistics and Programme Implementation, has struck

again in the name of animal welfare.

 

The Department of Animal Welfare — which is under her

charge — has ordered Pune’s National Institute of

Virology (NIV), one of the three key centres for

ongoing research on developing an AIDS vaccine, to put

a stop all animal experiments. The decision was taken

after a surprise visit by a Committee for the Purpose

of Control and Supervision of Experimentation on

Animals (CPCSEA) member on May 9, which reportedly

found the animals lodged at the NIV’s animal house in

a ‘deplorable’ condition.

 

The CPCSEA comes under the Department of Animal

Welfare, and its nominees are on animal ethics

committees which have been formed in every institute

that experiments on animals.

 

The report — by CPCSEA nominee Anuradha Sawhney who

conducted the raid — says the animals were found to be

living in dark rooms in cages that were too small for

them. Many of the animals were ill and undernourished,

says the report. Many of the 37 monkeys were

reportedly sick and suffering from skin diseases and

hair loss; some of them were spotted going around in

circles in their cages, displaying symptoms of a

condition called zoochosis.

 

The report also raps the NIV for failing to carry out

instructions to improve conditions given by the

committee during a visit in July last year. It

somewhat dramatically concludes by quoting philosopher

Jeremy Bentham: ‘‘Nor can they reason, nor can they

talk. But can they suffer?’’

 

Maneka said that 590 institutes had made improvements

to their animal houses after the CPCSEA’s

intervention. ‘‘What has stopped the NIV? Neeyat hi

theek nahi hai. They have no intention of improving,’’

she told The Indian Express.

 

The NIV countered that the institute, including the

animal house, was undergoing renovation. ‘‘We will be

moving the animals to separate rooms on another floor

soon,’’ said Dr A.C. Mishra, in charge of the

institute. The cages for the animals were of standard

size, and only one cage was found broken by the team,

claimed Dr Sinha. ‘‘What the team saw was a temporary

situation. And on the day of their visit, there was a

power cut. Besides, all electric connections were

being transferred to the newly built facility.’’

 

© 2002: Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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