PETA India Supporters in Biohazard Suits Protest Against Lethal Leather Industry Following Tragic Deaths of Sanitation Workers in Kolkata
In the wake of the tragic deaths of three sanitation workers at the Kolkata Leather Complex, reportedly after exposure to the toxic waste generated by the leather industry, three PETA India supporters in full-body biohazard suits staged a striking protest in Kolkata on Thursday. Holding signs that declare, “Stop Toxic Pollution: Go Leather-Free!”, the protesters drew attention to the industry’s lethal toll on humans, animals, and the planet and urged consumers to ditch deadly leather and choose vegan fashions instead. In an editorial, DT Next had reported, “The three workers were clearing a clogged manhole at a leather tannery when one of them tripped and fell into the effluent, and the other two jumped in to save him. All three succumbed to the poisonous vapours.”
This isn’t the first tragedy linked to the Kolkata Leather Complex, which houses around 500 leather tanneries. In 2015, three workers died after inhaling toxic fumes from a leather processing unit.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified occupational exposure to leather dust as carcinogenic to humans. Indeed, working in leather tanneries has been linked to respiratory and skin disorders and lung, pancreatic, skin, kidney, bladder, testicular and other cancers.
Cows, buffaloes, and other animals used for leather in India are often crammed into vehicles in such large numbers that their bones break. Slaughterhouse workers cut the throats of those who survive this ordeal in full view of other animals before dismembering and skinning them, with these processes often beginning while they’re still conscious.
Today, eco-friendly vegan leather produced in India includes leather made from plants such as sugarcane bagasse and mango pulp. The “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification authenticates handbags, shoes, clothing, accessories, furniture, and home decor items made from vegan materials rather than animal-derived ones such as leather, silk, wool, fur, and feathers. Over 1000 companies worldwide are using the “PETA-Approved Vegan” logo to enable socially conscious consumers in India and elsewhere to identify vegan products at a glance while shopping.
