The Central Board of School Education and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examination have accepted a proposal from vegetarian Parliament Member Maneka Gandhi to end a long tradition of black leather shoes by replacing them with white canvas cloth equivalents.

Millions of Indian school children may thus be soon free from the apparel that has been identified as expensive, eco-hazardous and unhealthy for children.

In fact, according to the organization People for the Animals, which has also been campaigning in favor of the ban, the widespread use of these shoes to date has made schoolchildren the largest consumers of leather products in the nation.

Besides involving cruelty to animals and health threats to tannery workers, Parliament Member Gandhi stated, “Leather shoes are really bad for our children as they are destroying their feet.”

In the southern Indian city of Chennai, 28 schools have already discarded leather in favor of canvas since the campaign began.

Kudos Parliament Member Gandhi and People for the Animals for your tireless work for the betterment of children, animals and environment. We look forward to the day when all young persons are able to run and walk comfortably in eco-friendly and compassionate footwear.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7680953/India-bans-leather-shoes-in-schools-as-vestige-
of-colonial-rule.html
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/school-boards-ready-to-kick-leather-give-canvas-a-shooin/615226/0
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100505/wl_sthasia_afp/indiabritaineducationfootwearoffbeat