Jain Spirit 2003 06 No 15

Author(s): Jain Spirit UK
Publisher: UK Young Jains

Page 20

MAILBOX
YOUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
BY AIRMAIL
INSPIRING MANGO Dipak Damani, Malaysia writes: I read your article Tasting the Mango in Jain Spirit with great delight. It was very nicely written and especially informative to me as I intend to hold a forum in Malaysia with the primary purpose of reacquainting the youth with the message of Jainism. As such, I hope you can share elements that have made the Young Jains Convention, as was illustrated in your article, successful so that I can implement those very elements in my programme for the youths.
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Jain Spirit editors@jainspirit.org
A LEGACY TO BE PROUD OF Pradip Jain, India writes: This issue [14] has come out very well, a superb production carrying interesting articles and photographs. 'A Family Legacy' by Dhara Kothari was very interesting and inspiring. The Jain community is indeed proud of MLBD legacy and their rich contribution. I have decided to give 25 of my friends free Jain Spirit subscriptions this year.
IT'S ALL IN THE NAME Surya and Satish Shah, USA write: We are really impressed with the excellent articles published in Jain Spirit. There is always something new to learn. You must be working very hard to maintain the high quality of articles. We have one request to you. We have noticed that only first and last names of authors and other news makers are printed. It is really difficult to recognise some of the names - e.g. there is an obituary of one Mr. Somchand Shah in the March issue. Without his father's and grandfather's name, it is difficult to know who the person was.
END THIS SICKENING HORSE TRADE Kat Macmillan, UK writes: Readers may already be aware that horses are exported live from Poland to Italy to be slaughtered for meat on arrival. When animal welfare group Viva! first went to Poland to start campaigning against the live export of horses for meat to the EU, nearly 100,000 animals were being transported every year. Two years down the line, the number has collapsed to 30,000 annually and Poland's chief veterinary officer has attributed the slump to Viva!'s high profile campaign. I'd like to appeal to readers to join Viva!'s campaign. We must end this sickening trade for good.
Two years ago Viva! filmed undercover to reveal the shocking conditions that the horses are transported in. Viva! has gained recent footage showing that these conditions have barely changed. The footage shows horses beaten with sticks, collapsing and dying, horses with broken legs and emaciated and blinded horses and donkeys. Some horses are so traumatised that their spirits are completely broken and they have no will to live. Even foals are not exempt from this trade. By the time horses reach Hungary, just half way through their journey to the Italian abattoirs, many are injured, dehydrated or dead. At the slaughterhouse, horses are driven or dragged from the lorry. Here, stunning methods are often ignored or done incompletely so that animals regain consciousness whilst their throats are being slit. Many are slaughtered in front of their companions.
Poles do not eat horses and are keen to see a ban on live horse exports. We have to keep up the pressure to stop this trade. Please support Viva! and help end this cruelty. Contact Viva! by email on: horses@viva.org.uk
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK Rajendra P. Dugar, India writes: We have gone through your path-breaking publication Jain Spirit, and thoroughly enjoyed the enlightening articles on Jainism which throw light on hitherto unknown intricacies of Jain philosophy. Kindly keep up the good work which you have so painstakingly compiled and offered to your readers.
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Jain Spirit . June - August 2003