16. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi
Maneka
Sanjay Gandhi was born on 26
August 1956 is the Indian Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development in
the Government of PM Narendra Modi. She is also an animal rights
activist, environmentalist, and widow
of the Indian politician Sanjay Gandhi. She has been a minister in four governments, and has
authored a number of books in the areas of etymology, law and animal
welfare. Maneka Gandhi is a member of
the Nehru-Gandhi Family. Maneka was born in Delhi into
a Sikh family. Her father was Indian Army officer Lt. Col. Tar lochan Singh Anand
and her mother was Amteshwar Anand. She went to Lawrence School and later Lady
Shri Ram College for Women. She subsequently studied German at Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi. Gandhi is a
self-described environmentalist and animal rights leader in India. She has
earned international awards and acclaim. She was appointed
chairwoman of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of
Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) in 1995. Under her direction, CPCSEA members
carried unannounced inspections of laboratories where animals are used for
scientific research were conducted. she
has filed Public Interest Litigations that have achieved the replacement of the
municipal killing of homeless dogs with a sterilization programme, the
unregulated sale of air guns and a ban on mobile or travelling zoos. She currently chairs the Jury of
International Energy Globe Foundation which meets annually in Austria to award
the best environmental innovations of the year. She is a member of the Euro
solar Board and the Wuppertal Institute,
Germany. She started the organization People for Animals in 1992 and it is the largest organization for animal
rights/welfare in India. Maneka Gandhi is also a patron of International Animal Rescue. While she is not a vegan, she has advocated this
lifestyle on ethical and health grounds. She also anchored the weekly
television program Heads and Tails, highlighting the suffering
meted out to animals due to their commercial exploitation. She has also
authored a book under the same title. Her other books were about Indian people
names. She is a cast member for the documentary A Delicate Balance.
Comments
Post a Comment