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 "Change
yourself before changing the society", is what
she believes in and practices. She loved animals ever
since she could remember and has been constantly helping
the animals in need. She not only turned herself into
a vegetarian at a very young age, but also started influencing
her friends in Kalakshetra in Madras, where she has
studied. And she carried her message over.
Amala
Akkineni has been the backbone for the Blue cross
of Hyderabad ever since it was formed in the year
1992.
"Amala"
is the one whom the animals on streets would love to
thank, if only they had a voice! She bore the brunt
of criticism when she rescued animals on several occasions.
But still she is determined. Even today she actively
participates in the animal welfare programs, which include
campaigning on awareness & education and animal
rescues with the support of a few volunteers.
It
would be interesting to know as to how she started this
movement. It was her mother, who was an Irish lady,
who inspired Amala and encouraged her to be an animal
lover. As a young girl she realised how cruel we are
towards the animals and stopped eating non-vegetarian
foods. Whenever she couldn't resist of having non-veg,
all she would do is, go around a chicken shop on a bicycle
to watch how brutally the chicken were killed, and thus
reinforcing her thoughts for vegetarianism.
Her
movement on animal welfare got a real boost after she
got married to Nagarjuna Akkineni in the year
1992. She had undergone a training program on "Conservation
of nature", conducted by the Forest
Department of AP. She joined "Abhaya",
the first animal welfare organisation in Hyderabad,
started by another animal right activist, Mrs
Vasanthi Vaadi. It was there that Amala had
pooled a few like minded friends and started the Blue
Cross of Hyderabad.
Amala
says that she learnt a lot from the animals, their appreciation
for whatever we do to them and their tolerance to pain,
to name a few. 
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Extracted from an article by Balaji Adivishnu (www.khojhyderabad.com)
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