Animals used by the leather industry in India are transported to states where they can legally be killed. Forced to walk through the heat and dust for days without food or water, many of the animals collapse. Handlers pull the cattle by ropes through their noses and twist their necks, horns and tails or rub chilli peppers in their eyes in order to keep them moving. Cattle are tied together with ropes through their noses and beaten mercilessly in forced "death marches" over hundreds of kilometres. They are also transported in appalling conditions, crammed on top of each other into lorries in the searing Indian heat. They cannot help but crush one another and suffer and they die hideous deaths from suffocation and wounds. The lorries careen at breakneck speeds along bumpy dirt and gravel roads and down mountain passes, pitching the cows around and causing more injury and death. During the marches, cattle collapse from hunger, exhaustion, injury and despair. They are never offered food or even as much as a drop of water. By the time they arrive at the slaughterhouse, some animals are dead and many are so sick and injured that they must be dragged inside, again with no concern for their feelings and pain. A closer look at the animals still conscious reveals sheer terror and betrayal, their short fur stands on end. Once inside, their throats are slit in front of other watching and waiting cattle, in blatant violation of laws. Some have their legs hacked off while still conscious or suffer the agony of being skinned alive. Pigs are often killed by way of iron rods being forced through their bodies. India's treatment of cows is among the cruelest in the world. Since it is illegal to kill healthy, young cattle, they are often deliberately maimed. Their legs may be broken or they may be poisoned so that they can be declared fit for slaughter. Indian law clearly prohibits beating, kicking and overloading animals; overcrowding animals in transit; depriving animals of water; selling abused animals and killing animals cruelly. People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has launched a campaign against the inhumane treatment of the cattle and urged the government to enforce India's laws protecting animals in transportation. Animal lovers from all over the country are writing to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh urging him to immediately enact humane practices and conditions for cattle transportation in India. In fact killing animals for leather is both unnecessary and cruel and torturing animals during and before slaughter is criminal and brutal. Pravin Shrivastava