Created by William Lane-Petter
Nov 1955
Description:

'CONFIDENTIAL

THE EXPORT OF MONKEYS FROM INDIA

An Appreciation of the Attitude of the Indian Government

The Indian Government has decided that the export of monkeys for medical research shall continue, subject to regulations to ensure their humane treatment. This decision has been taken at the highest level, and has the support of the Prime Minister, in spite of strong opposition based on religious and ethical grounds. The Indian Government realise that it is no part their duty or interest to hamper medical research in other countries, more particularly as they are themselves relying to an increasing extent on the advances made elsewhere as well as in their own country for the control of indigenous disease and the raising of the standard of living of their own population.

This decision is, therefore, a matter of principle. The question of foreign exchange is insignificant in comparison for a total estimated annual export of 200,000 monkeys at Rs.25 each amounts to Rs.50 lakhs, equivalent to £350,000 in sterling or dollars. This is a small sum to be set against serious political opposition.

Although poliomyelitis is today not such a serious public health hazard in India as it is in the U.S.A. and U.K. the rise in the standard of living and of general hygiene which can be expected during the next five years or ten years is almost certain to be accompanied by a rise in the incidence of poliomyelitis; indeed the beginning of this rise in incidence has already become apparent in certain areas. It is therefore likely that India herself will, in the near future, have to consider measures against the spread of paralytic poliomyelitis.

Opposition to the declared Government policy may be expected to continue and this opposition will feed on any failures of the anti-poliomyelitis programme in other countries, and on any evidence of real or imagined inhumaneness in the transport or use of monkeys for the preparation of [sic] testing of vaccine or for other purposes. It is therefore vitally necessary that this traffic be conducted with every consideration for the welfare of the monkeys, and that steps be taken to prevent the recurrence of such accidents as that which occurred at London Airport on New Year's Day 1955.

Permission to export monkeys will be given on the understanding that they are for genuine medical research and for no other purposes. In particular there is a profound objection to their use for what may be called warlike purposes, such as the production and testing of new weapons. Although the Indian Government may require the nature of the research for which the monkeys are to be used to be stated in the application for an export permit, their officials will not look too closely into the actual use to which the monkeys are eventually put. Nor will they raise any objections to granting export permits to or on behalf of the Ministry of Supply, providing this Ministry states that the animals are for specified medical research. The Ministry, however, must be able to give assurance that this is the case, and that the monkeys are not being used for the development of new weapons or the testing of existing ones, and the Minister must be prepared to state this, if asked before the British Parliament. It is hardly necessary to add that such assurance will be accepted without question by the Indian Government. The onus of protecting the Indian Government against its critics in this matter is therefore placed on the shoulders of the British Government.

Regulations for the proper shipment of monkeys out of India are contained in the Gazette of India No. 269, dated 7th September, 1955. This Public Notice is not yet in force, and indeed its enforcement has been delayed chiefly on account of the specifications contained therein for the size of shipping crates. The dimensions specified, if adopted, would have the effect of seriously increasing the cost of air freightage without any real benefit to the monkeys being shipped, and discussions are at the present time going on about the possibility of altering these specified dimensions. If some alteration is decided upon, an amended Public Notice will be issued. Other provisions of the Public Notice are unexceptional.

In summary, it may be said that there will be no compromise on the requirement that monkeys may only be exported for medical research, and that it is up to the consignee to be able to give assurance in this respect. The humane treatment of the monkeys must also be assured at all stages of their journey, and the repe[t]ition of an incident such as occurred at London Airport on New Year's Day would almost certainly bring the traffic to an abrupt end. The attitude of the Indian Government is helpful and sympathetic and they will do whatever they can, in defiance of their own critics, to assist medical research in other countries, for they are under no misapprehension about the value of such research to the world in general and to their own country in particular. An appreciation of their own problems will meet with reciprocal understanding in full measure. The amount of foreign exchange involved in the export of monkeys in India, which are a serious agricultural pest, is likely to be of far greater economic value to the country.

This memorandum must be regarded as strictly confidential. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, much of it would undoubtedly be repudiated by the Indian authorities, with unfortunate effects on the supply of monkeys from India. It is suggested that its circulation should be carefully controlled.'