LUSH Cosmetics may choose to romanticise and use Veerappan as a model for a range of hair care, perfume and other glamour products but the real story behind Veerappan is one of murder, torture and killing of animals, especially elephants, on a grand scale.
Hunting him down took over 20 years and he was subject to the biggest manhunt in Asian history. During his time in the forests of India he killed over 900 elephants, 184 people and 97 police. Those killings were not clean and painless either but one of brutality and showed a total lack of any sort of humanity. Quite why Lush decided to make him a ‘poster boy’ and feature him on their make-up and publicity remains a big question – but in business money speaks.
A new film showing the brutality of Veerappan is to go on release in India in the New Year and the trailer has just been released. The 1st January release is almost a month later than first scheduled but from the film footage that has been released it will be worth the wait.
Will the film make it into western cinemas? We can only hope so – at least in some of the smaller more specialist cinemas. Africa has been the focus of attention for poaching and wildlife with the world’s media generally ignoring the plight of wildlife in India. This film may help to bring into focus the work that rangers do in India under very difficult circumstances. Low pay that is often delayed, no equipment and poor management is often the case for rangers in India’s wildlife reserves.
If it does make the Western cinema’s hopefully it make people realise that the image of Veerappan is not one to be glamourised and used as promotion for products. They might realise before handing over money for product that they are paying into a life that was based on hatred, murder, torture and a total lack of concern for the natural world.
Watch the Killing Verrappan trailer and if you get the chance go and see the movie. you might change your mind about that brand of hair wax or perfume. You might even choose to sign the petition.
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