Animal rights campaigning "counter-productive" – CLE chairman
India’s Council for Leather Exports has warned that the recent resumption in animal rights campaigning against the country will only serve to harden attitudes and result in further job losses. Speaking last week, CLE chairman, M Mohamed Hashim, said it could also jeopardise further progress being made in animal rights reform.
"If the attacks continue, there is a real danger of a hardening of stances within the industry. This in fact would be counter-productive at this stage, when some momentum in animal welfare reforms has been gained," Mr Hashim said.
Following a promise made by the CLE to help with the reform process in May 2000, animal rights activists called a halt to their strategy of encouraging retailers to boycott Indian leather. However, they have since restarted the campaign, citing lack of progress as the reason.
As a direct result of the campaigning, the European retail giant Marks and Spencer recently confirmed that it had phased out its use of leather from India and would not purchase Indian skins again until improvements in animal handling are met. Other major brands to have joined the boycott include Nordstrom and Wolverine, the company behind the Hush Puppies, Caterpillar and Harley Davidson Footwear brands.
"The Indian leather industry has been attacked as part of a tried-and-tested formula that involves activists hitting an industry directly, in the hope that this will in turn influence the government. More than the industry, their campaign has also impacted on the image of the country." Mr Hashim said.
