Social media is abuzz with #RIPAvni, as support and participation from animal lovers and keyed-in youngsters continue to pour in for the global protest on November 11. The group on Facebook that is spearheading this protest has asked people to gather in cities across the world to push for governmental reforms that will prevent such tiger killings in the future.
What started off as a movement on Facebook and Twitter to stop the killing of the now-deceased tigress in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra has now gone so viral that it is bordering on being a movement. Though the alleged man-eater was shot dead by marksman Ashgar Ali Khan a week ago, the hashtag #RIPAvni has been trending on social media almost continuously.
Though there is no formal organisation for the protest, the fact that over 21,487 people are actively promoting the protest is proof of its virality. Sachin Stalin, an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer under the Animal Welfare Board of India, is one of the many individuals leading this peaceful protest. He claimed that the three main outcomes of the peaceful protest that they desire are the "sacking of Sudhir Mungantiwar, Minister for Finance Planning and Forests in Maharashtra" and they are "also demanding the sacking of A K Misra, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife)."
Incidentally, the worldwide protest on November 11 is being organised by a large group of individuals that have come together through social media and formed the Facebook page, Avni The Tigress. "This will set an example for the nation that people cannot escape with blood on their hands," he adds. The other demands of the protest, according to Stalin, are to severely condemn the hunters behind the killing of the tigress and also to provide adequate protection and care of the two cubs that Avni has left behind.
If you want to join this peaceful protest then follow the Facebook page here to get updates regarding the venues of the protest across various cities, which Stalin says will be uploaded shortly.
