Exclusive | Rupali Ganguly on World Animal Welfare Day 2023: Offenders should be punished in a way that they don't think of hurting the voiceless

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Rupali Ganguly has been actively supporting the cause of animal welfare. She never shies away from taking a stand for the voiceless and raises her voice when they are subjected to cruelty. Today, on World Animal Welfare Day 2023, the Anupamaa actress spoke about the significance of the day in her life.

Rupali said, "World Animal Welfare Day is the most significant day of my life. Ever since I have understood myself, I have also understood that the voiceless need to be protected. It is of paramount importance for humans to take care of those who cannot fend for themselves. This is the cause I live and work for. This is my calling and God has been blessing me for this. I wouldn't have been the human I am without my love for animals. It is joyous to my heart that such a day is being celebrated. People normally don't take animal welfare seriously. It is imperative that we understand the essence of co-existing with our co-species. Compassion is of utmost importance. Without love for animals, I don't understand how can they even call themselves humans."

The actress called herself a 'animal person' instead of a 'pet lover'. She shared, "It is weird that we call them animals and they have more humanity than us. I feel laws in India aren't enough. Things are changing for good now but we still have a long way to go. As emancipated individuals, we need to advocate compassion and instill a sense of protectiveness for the voiceless in ourselves and our children. I hate to still beg for stricter animal cruelty laws. How can someone harm a life for the sake of YouTube videos and reels? What kind of people are they? We need such laws that criminals should be petrified before harming animals.

Rupali has been caring for fur babies on the set of Anupamaa. Talking about the same, the actress revealed, "We work on a set where we have 15 fur babies. Be it Anupamaa or Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, our sets have a positive energy due to them. Rajan Shahi (producer) is kind enough to give homes to the voiceless. He himself has a plethora of them at home. Rajan sir often says, "Janwaro ki bhi duayein lagti hai." If you feed a stray baby, you will see the difference it will make in your life. Why do y'all cause harm to them? Look into any animal's eyes and you will find the love that you've lost."

Demanding stricter laws for cruelty against animals, Rupali emotionally expressed, "I want extremely strict laws. We must encourage societies to adopt at least 2 fur babies. Incentives should be given to those who adopt or care for them. We also need stricter rules to punish those who abandon animals. I believe these laws shouldn't only apply to dogs. It should be for every animal. These days, people are cutting forests for development purposes. Why do you want to throw the voiceless out of their homes? There are several other ways to maintain a balance between ecosystem and development. Animals like tigers are getting killed because of lack of habitat. These development activities cause harm to use too. How will we breathe if we don't have jungles and forests? Countless species are going extinct. It is in our culture to protect animals, so let's get together and show some compassion."

With the festive season being around the corner, Rupali had a piece of advice for pet parents and communities to protect their fur babies. She suggested, "I feel crackers should be banned. I'm a proud Hindu and respect my religion and culture. But, when my father was unwell, he had trouble with crackers. I feel communities and societies with dogs should take certain measures for their welfare. The society secretary or community head should put a tag around every dog's neck with the correct address and phone number. Even if the dog goes missing, he can be identified by people through the tag. Please, do not remove the tag if you find a lost fur baby. Also, Diwali is a festival of lights and not crackers. Don't burst them. Let's light up our and their lives with a cracker-free Diwali celebration. If you want to spend money, donate food to pets or needy people."