Call to restrict use of peacock feather during festivals

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 21: A state-based animal rights campaigner has called for a strict regulation on the use of peacock feathers during festival celebrations as it is in the violation of Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

The demand comes in the wake of the large scale "misuse" of feather of the National Bird during the recent inauguration of Onam festivals by state Tourism Promotion Council in Ernakulam and Kottayam districts in the state.

Heritage Animal Task Force, the outfit, sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the Chairman of National Board for Wildlife, in the matter.

The outfit, in a letter to Modi, also alleged that "thousands of pieces of full grown peacock feathers were used for the conduct of processions at Kottayam and Ernakulam district headquarters, with support of officials of forest, police and revenue departments."

Task Force Secretary V K Venkitachalam said here that it was the violation of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. As per the Act, using huge quantities of peacock feathers for any purpose is illegal as it can be obtained only by killing hundreds of birds.

"The Act also says that only peacock feathers which naturally fall from the body of the peacocks may be collected by human beings who can use them for educational and research purposes," he said.

But all the peacock feathers used by the Council for the Onam celebrations were "neat and full grown without any breakage", he said. Normally, peacock have a tendency to walk over their own feathers after the feathers fall from the body, the campaigner said.

PTI