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A large number of animals are killed daily for meat thus providing leather, bones, urine, and blood as byproducts. Also, significant numbers are killed specifically for special leather (such as in home and car furnishings, hand purses and leather jackets). In that case, meat, bones, urine and blood are the byproducts (not primary products). Special leather has certain characteristics like being free from surface scratches and blemishes on the outside skin plus other features such as softness, strength and durability, and texture. Special leather finds its use in home furnishings (sofas, chairs), in automobile seats (generally in expensive/luxury cars), body and footwear such as jackets, expensive shoes, hand purses and also in industrial uses. In addition, in India, some special and fresh leather is used for making silver varak (silver foils). Silver foil in India is most commonly used on sweets and other edible products and also in some Jain temples for decorating the idols and pratimas. For special leathers, certain types of animals (mostly cows and calves) are specially reared and raised under very controlled conditions (for example, cows are confined to stay in certain positions so that they do not scratch their skins and thus cause scratches and blemishes on the leather skin). Once ready, these animals are slaughtered (primarily) for leather and the meat and other body parts become the secondary byproducts.
THE ECONOMICS OF LEATHER & HOW ITS USE DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTES TO SLAUGHTER OF MORE ANIMALS
Let me again share a few examples to illustrate the varied ways leather contributes to violence against animals. A few years ago I was in New Delhi, India. There, one of my very distant Jain relatives brought his son (in his early twenties) to meet with me. This young man came and touched my feet (as a sign of respect in Indian customs). I noticed that this boy was wearing a leather jacket. Immediately, I told this
An Ahimsa Crisis: You Decide
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