Punjab Assembly tables first-ever comprehensive Animal Welfare Bill; Baljit Kaur leads emotional appeal
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, July 11, 2025: In a powerful and emotionally charged address in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Cabinet Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur described the tabling of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025 as a historic step toward restoring humanity’s lost moral compass and reviving Punjab’s deeply rooted cultural compassion for animals.
Calling the bill a landmark moment in legislative history, Dr. Kaur declared that Punjab was finally giving voice to the voiceless.
“We humans, despite being gifted with language and intellect, have abused our dominance by turning protectors into tormentors,” she said. “The earth was never ours alone — it belongs equally to animals, birds, insects, and even unseen micro-organisms.”
The Minister recounted how Punjab’s traditional values always placed animals on par with family, especially cattle that were nurtured with care and treated with dignity. She warned that disturbing the natural harmony between humans and animals would ultimately invite disaster for humanity itself.
“If we break the sacred bond with nature, we break ourselves,” she asserted.
Dr. Kaur also applauded Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his commitment to safeguarding Punjab’s spiritual and cultural identity, which includes respect for animals as living, sentient beings, not commodities.
She praised the revival of bullock cart races, not just as tradition but as a tribute to a time when animals were companions, not tools.
This is the first time such a comprehensive animal welfare bill has been introduced in the Punjab Assembly, and Dr. Kaur underlined its dual role — to elevate societal values and enforce legal protection for animals.
“Animal welfare is not just a legal obligation — it’s a moral and spiritual responsibility. The eyes of the future will judge us not by how we treated our own kind, but by how we treated those who couldn’t speak back,” Dr. Kaur declared, drawing loud thumping on benches in support.
She concluded with a call for collective responsibility, urging society to stand united in ensuring compassion, dignity, and justice for all creatures, marking the moment as not just legislative progress but a reawakening of conscience.