prime minister narendra modi

Save Elephant from Forced Return to Captivity

Originally published on September 12, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Goal: Prevent freed elephant from returning to his abusive former owner

Raju the elephant wept after activists removed the chains that had been wrapped around his legs for the past 50 years. They transported Raju to Wildlife SOS’s Elephant Conservation and Care Center where he has been living with five female elephants for the last two months. Claiming that Raju is his property, the abusive former owner has launched a legal battle to repossess the liberated elephant. The Indian government must show compassion and never allow Raju to be placed in chains again.

Raju had been a calf in the wild when poachers captured him decades ago. After shackling his legs, Raju’s owners beat him until he learned to submit to them. Each time he was sold to a new master, they would beat Raju to break his spirit and exert their dominance over him. Malnourished and with no shelter at night, Raju began eating discarded paper and plastic in order to survive.

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Release Peaceful Activists from Wrongful Imprisonment

Originally published on August 9, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Goal: Free peaceful activists who were trying to protect forest from coal mining

Two Greenpeace activists have been arrested in India while protecting the Mahan forest from coal mining. Government officials detained two of the peaceful activists while confiscating several pieces of communication and power equipment. The activists have not been charged with an official crime, yet remain in detention.

In collusion with the coal mining industry, local government sent police officers into the forest of Mahan to arrest two Greenpeace activists working with local communities. Without a search warrant, the police entered their house at midnight and arrested the activists. The arresting officers accused them of being a general nuisance and disrupting the Mahan villagers.

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Protect Children from Escalating Sexual Abuse

Originally published on August 4, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Goal: Stop the rampant child sexual abuse and rape that is taking place in India

In the midst of India’s horrendous rape crisis, sexual abuse against children is rapidly spreading throughout the country. Although India’s government wrote into law the 2012 Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, local authorities have been extremely lax in enforcing its provisions. Preferring to ignore the issue, the authorities have exposed these children to increasing acts of rape, torture, and murder.

Recently, an Indian teacher was arrested for raping a 6-year-old student. The school had failed to verify a background check on the accused teacher, who had been fired from another school for inappropriately touching his female students. The school’s chairman was arrested for attempting to destroy evidence, while two of the police officers who mocked the victim’s parents were transferred to another district.

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