Mini Vasudevan remembers that precise moment when she decided to turn vegetarian. “I was all of 11 and spending the summer vacation at my father’s place in a village in Kollam. In those days, animals were part of our household and there were cows and hens in most houses in those parts. That was how I happened to see a chicken being killed for the kitchen in a neighbour’s house. That turned me off meat forever,” she recalls.
The transformation from an animal lover to an animal activist had to wait till Mini became the owner of a pet while studying and working in the US. “It was Max, my pet dog, that strengthened my connection with animals. In the US, I became aware of the many ways in which animals were abused and misused and I, eventually, became a vegan,” recalls Mini.
In 2004, Mini and her husband, Madhu Ganesh, returned to India and settled in Coimbatore. Appalled by the plight of street dogs, Mini tried to contact animal shelters or vets to help them. When she failed to find one, she decided to take the initiative herself and in 2006, she and her husband began Humane Animal Society (HAS).
A brief conversation with Maneka Gandhi motivated her to start this platform for like-minded people. “I had written to her about the apathy towards street dogs and soon afterwards got a call from her office. In those days, I was working and was in Australia on official work. She thought I was one of those non-resident Indians who was complaining about the state of the country and refusing to take up responsibility. When she heard that we were living in India, she told me that instead of complaining, I must take the initiative to begin an organisation to help the dogs,” she recalls.
President Ram Nath Kovind presenting Nari Shakti Puraskar to Mini Vasudevan at Rashtrapati Bhawan, in New Delhi | Photo Credit: Sandeep Saxena
Working in association with the Coimbatore corporation, they began Animal Birth Control and also opened a shelter for dogs. Presently, HAS a shelter at Seeranaickenpalayam and a sanctuary at Valukkuppara, both in Coimbatore.
Thirteen years down the line, Mini says she can’t believe how much the organisation has grown from one vet and an assistant to 17 employees and two vets. However, Mini feels that population of street dogs is directly related to garbage disposal and unless we stop dumping garbage, it will be difficult to curb the growth of stray dogs. Mini is also at the forefront of campaigns for animal adoption. “I have seen people buying a pet as a gift. It is not. Many a time when people find it difficult to rear a dog, they dump it somewhere, not realising the trauma the animal goes through. The same thing when an animal grows old or falls ill. If only they could talk, they would have told us about the abuse some of the animals suffer,” she says.
With three dogs of her own, including a disabled one, Mini says she wants people to understand that animals, especially pets, help us connect with the environment and understand how each living thing is part of a delicate ecological balance.
Recently, Mini was in the news for being honoured with the Nari Shakti Puraskar, the highest civilian honour for women in India given by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, as recognition for her work in animal welfare. Has the award made a difference to her work? “Yes, it has. The award has helped focus attention on the issue of animal welfare, especially street dogs. I have been invited to speak on the subject and that will certainly help in spreading awareness about this often-sidelined topic,” she says.
The 54-year-old engineer-turned-animal activist was in the city to attend a function organised by College of Engineering Trivandrum Alumni Association to honour Mini, an alumnus of the college, for receiving the Nari Shakti Puraskar.