Thank You, Jagjitji, for Being a Voice for Animals

We’ve grown up listening to and humming along to his soulful ghazals. His magical voice has touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, and now that Jagjit Singh is gone, he will always be remembered for this beautiful voice and for his decision to use it to speak up for those whose cries often go unheard: animals.

As the world pays tribute to the legendary singer, we take this time to remind you that Singh helped PETA’s campaign to stop elephants from being needlessly killed by speeding trains on railway tracks. His efforts to help stop the cruelty to these magnificent giants will live on through PETA’s campaign until adequate steps are taken by the government to end their suffering. Singh had fired off a letter to former Railways Minister Kumari Mamata Banerjee calling on her to use her time in the Ministry to limit the speed of trains running through elephant corridors and to use speed-detection guns – successfully demonstrated by PETA – to monitor train speeds.

“It is difficult to understand why elephants continue to die when there are ways to solve this problem”, wrote Singh, who noted that strict speed limits are particularly important in areas where elephants are common. “A speed-detection device, which PETA has procured and demonstrated, offers an effective, simple way to slow down trains. Drivers going at dangerous speeds could be punished, and notifying conductors that such monitoring is taking place will encourage them to slow down.”

In Jagjitji’s honour, become a part of the campaign that was close to his heart. Take action to help elephants here.