Republic Day: India’s Constitution and the Moral Case for Animal Rights
Republic Day marks the moment when India chose to be governed not only by law, but by values — justice, dignity, and compassion. While the Constitution is often discussed in the context of human rights, it also contains a profound ethical vision for our relationship with non-human animals.
Why the Constitution Speaks for Animals
The framers of the Constitution understood that the moral progress of a nation is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable. Influenced by India’s civilisational ethos of ahimsa and coexistence, they embedded compassion for animals into the constitutional structure — not as charity, but as duty and principle.
This intent is reflected in three key provisions:
- Article 48 urges the State to govern human interaction with animals thoughtfully and responsibly. While placed within the Directive Principles, its deeper purpose is ethical governance — recognising that animals are living beings whose interests must be considered in policymaking.
- Article 48A, added later, directs the State to protect the environment and wildlife. This reflects the understanding that animals are not resources to be managed, but essential members of ecological communities with inherent worth.
- Article 51A(g) places a direct obligation on every citizen “to have compassion for living creatures.” This is one of the few Fundamental Duties that explicitly names compassion, signalling that empathy toward animals is a constitutional value, not a personal preference.
Supreme Court: Recognising Animal Dignity
India’s Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that these constitutional provisions must be interpreted through an animal-centric lens.
In the landmark Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja (2014), the Court held that animals have an intrinsic right to live with dignity and free from unnecessary pain and suffering. Importantly, the Court linked Article 51A(g) with Article 21, extending the idea of a dignified life beyond humans and stating that compassion toward animals is fundamental to constitutional morality.
The Court described animals as sentient beings and declared that humans have a moral obligation to protect their well-being, not because animals are useful, but because they are capable of suffering.
Earlier, in State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat (2005), the Supreme Court emphasised that constitutional compassion is not symbolic. It recognised that preserving animal life aligns with India’s ethical and cultural foundations and that the Constitution allows — and encourages — laws that prioritise animal protection.
Through these judgments, the Supreme Court has made it clear that animal welfare in India is not a policy choice alone; it flows from the spirit of the Constitution itself.
Why These Constitutional Values Matter for the Animal Rights Movement
For the animal rights movement, these provisions and judgments are powerful because they:
- Recognise animals as ends in themselves, not merely means to human ends
- Provide constitutional legitimacy to the idea that animals deserve dignity and freedom from cruelty
- Affirm that compassion is central to Indian democracy
- Challenge exploitative systems that normalise animal suffering
Republic Day is a reminder that rights are rooted in values — and values demand consistency.
As we celebrate India’s Constitution, we must remember that its promise of justice does not stop at our own species. Upholding compassion for animals is not an act of generosity — it is an act of constitutional fidelity. This Republic Day, let us honour the Constitution by standing up for those it quietly but powerfully protects: animals who cannot speak, yet whose lives matter.
LIVE KINDLY
With rich emotional lives and unbreakable family bonds, farmed animals deserve to be protected. You can build a kinder world by replacing animal food products with plant-based ones.