Hinduism is known to be the oldest religion in the world that highly sanctifies animal life. Particularly, cows are considered sacred, which is why Hindus are not allowed to eat beef. The doctrines teach Hindus that spiritual wisdom begins with vegetarianism. The faith also upholds the value Ahimsa, which means to do no harm against all living things. Any form of violence is associated with negative karma. Hindus also believe in the reincarnation of the dead and every loved one, who passed away are reincarnated in nature. This paves the way to the belief that every animal has a soul.
As the Hindu teaching suggests, humans are never superior to animals. Rather, they were created by the gods to look after the welfare of animals. Just like how they depend on the gods, animals depend on mankind for love and protection. Reverence for animals is a divine virtue in Hinduism, given the belief that they are just the re-incarnated entities of those who have died.
If any Hindu performs any harm against animals, he or she is believed to anticipate a negative karma. This is why in India, there is a strong campaign against animal cruelty, promoting awareness and conservation.
Last May, the Humane Society International (HSI)-India and People for Animals (PFA) launched the #NoMore50 campaign that calls for the amendment of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. The campaign believes that the maximum penalty of Rs. 50 for any form of animal violence is no longer enough to ensure zero-harm against animals. Despite having the PCA Act, animal cruelty is still rampant and continues to get worse. Many political parties and local celebrities have expressed their support for the campaign that seeks for the Environment Ministry to enhance the sanctions in the said law.