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slaughter houses. Whenever Mrs. Gandhi comes to know of such trains carrying animals, she goes and tries to stop the trains (even in the middle of night and at the risk of her
own personal safety). She does this quite often. Now you decide: is this behavior—using animal products for fashion consistent with ahimsa? You may ask, “Why should I not use leather and leather products for body coverings, accessories and furnishings?” Real leather is a skin of the animals and they (animals) are the only source for real/ genuine leather. Humans are the only species that use the skin of another animal. No animal uses other animals' skin. In the distant past, leather was used for footwear (shoes) and in several industrial applications. Today, there are hundreds (perhaps thousands) of products (for human as well as for industrial use) and only in the last five to seven decades, the use and production of leather has increased manifold. Today, humans use leather for all kinds of footwear, wallets, purses, trouser belts, camera and computer cases, brief cases, suit-cases, shoes, jackets and coats, head gear and head coverings, furnishings (seats in vehicles and in home furnishings), home decorations (including paintings and many other items). In the past, Jains always avoided the use and the trading of leather and leather related products in any shape or form. If Jains did use leather, it was only for footwear provided that leather was derived from the carcasses of naturally dead animals and not from humanly killed animals.
HOW IS REAL LEATHER PRODUCED THESE DAYS? These days, a majority of leather is produced by killing animals (in slaughter houses) and very little comes from the carcasses of animals who died natural deaths.
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An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
