Guest guest Posted October 20, 2007 Report Share Posted October 20, 2007 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter By Charles Haviland BBC News, Kathmandu The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, Dashain. The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is being grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day. Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. The markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and foodstuffs, and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities and from foreign countries to spend time with their families. Mass slaughter But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on its eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga. Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India. On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as " Kal Ratri " or the " Dark Night " , thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation. Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will end up flowing with blood. It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and prevent her anger in the year ahead. The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the killing. An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with a heavy hammer on the forehead. 'Such cruelty' A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - says that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their beating hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart a live goat. He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human beings too. " Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the Nepali civilisation, " he says. " Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and how does this reflect on our society? " Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed. " But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the name of religion is a sin. " Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this last theme. Animal sacrifices He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's respected goddesses and gods. " Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon, " he muses grimly. Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in the capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices. And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a vegetarian for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid the killing. " I can't stand the slaughter, " he said. " If a goat is killed, I run away. When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle. " He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the hills where, he says, certain men have taken up the " hobby " of Dashain slaughtering and will provide the service for many households. The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It says two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they believe in non-violence. At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between. Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly and regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu majority. For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood looks set to continue. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm Published: 2007/10/19 16:34:44 GMT © BBC MMVII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 Killing any animal is usually wrong; killing them in the name of a god or godesses hypocritical. The suffering of the people of Nepal and the slaughter of the members of the King a few years ago is due to such stupid practices. The King is said to be an incarnation of Vishnu and himself used to indulge in this senseless slaughter. The only silver lining is the awakening of a few blessed souls who are questioning this illogical practice. S. Chinny Krishna aapn [aapn ]On Behalf Of Weintraub Saturday, October 20, 2007 8:28 PM aapn Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter By Charles Haviland BBC News, Kathmandu The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, Dashain. The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is being grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day. Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. The markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and foodstuffs, and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities and from foreign countries to spend time with their families. Mass slaughter But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on its eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga. Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the sides; and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India. On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known as " Kal Ratri " or the " Dark Night " , thousands of these animals as well as sheep and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation. Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will end up flowing with blood. It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and prevent her anger in the year ahead. The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the killing. An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with a heavy hammer on the forehead. 'Such cruelty' A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - says that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their beating hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart a live goat. He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human beings too. " Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the Nepali civilisation, " he says. " Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and how does this reflect on our society? " Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed. " But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the name of religion is a sin. " Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this last theme. Animal sacrifices He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's respected goddesses and gods. " Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon, " he muses grimly. Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in the capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices. And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a vegetarian for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid the killing. " I can't stand the slaughter, " he said. " If a goat is killed, I run away. When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle. " He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the hills where, he says, certain men have taken up the " hobby " of Dashain slaughtering and will provide the service for many households. The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It says two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they believe in non-violence. At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between. Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly and regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu majority. For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood looks set to continue. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm Published: 2007/10/19 16:34:44 GMT © BBC MMVII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 The King of Nepal also visits Kamakhya temple in Assam for animal sacrifice & this practice is still going on in India, when it will be under control, in my opinion punishments should be reviewed along with awareness among the public, regards, Naresh Kadyan On 10/21/07, Dr.Chinny Krishna <drkrishna wrote: > > Killing any animal is usually wrong; killing them in the name of a god > or > godesses hypocritical. > > The suffering of the people of Nepal and the slaughter of the members of > the > King a few years ago > is due to such stupid practices. The King is said to be an incarnation of > Vishnu and himself used to indulge > in this senseless slaughter. > > The only silver lining is the awakening of a few blessed souls who are > questioning this illogical practice. > > S. Chinny Krishna > > > aapn <aapn%40> [ > aapn <aapn%40>]On Behalf Of > Weintraub > Saturday, October 20, 2007 8:28 PM > aapn <aapn%40> > Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm > Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter > By Charles Haviland > BBC News, Kathmandu > > The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, > Dashain. > The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess > Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. > > There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is > being > grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this > Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day. > > Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. > The > markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and foodstuffs, > and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities > and > from foreign countries to spend time with their families. > > Mass slaughter > > But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on > its > eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of > thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga. > > Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths walking > with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the > sides; > and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India. > > On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, known > as > " Kal Ratri " or the " Dark Night " , thousands of these animals as well as > sheep > and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation. > > Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, > where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will > end > up flowing with blood. > > It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious > meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and prevent > her anger in the year ahead. > > The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the > killing. > > An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller > animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with a > heavy hammer on the forehead. > > 'Such cruelty' > > A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - > says > that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their > beating > hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear apart > a > live goat. > > He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even suggesting > that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human > beings too. > > " Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the > Nepali civilisation, " he says. " Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and > how > does this reflect on our society? " > > Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed. > > " But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not just > inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally wrong > to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the > name of religion is a sin. " > > Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this > last > theme. > > Animal sacrifices > > He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's > respected goddesses and gods. > > " Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon, " he muses grimly. > > Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major > concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in the > capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices. > > And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a > vegetarian > for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid the > killing. > > " I can't stand the slaughter, " he said. " If a goat is killed, I run away. > When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle. " > > He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the hills > where, he says, certain men have taken up the " hobby " of Dashain > slaughtering and will provide the service for many households. > > The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It > says > two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned > sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they > believe in non-violence. > > At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between. > > Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly > and > regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of > vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu > majority. > > For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood > looks > set to continue. > > Story from BBC NEWS: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm > > Published: 2007/10/19 16:34:44 GMT > > © BBC MMVII > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 21, 2007 Report Share Posted October 21, 2007 Please also add the Indian politicians, who make a bee line during elections and other occasions to this temple and many others for a kill. They are the MAIN criminals who need to be taken to task for animal sacrifices not finding an end in India. It is in their hands, they can change the brutal laws. All the time we see them fighting each other in the Parliament for some Bill or the other, cannot we get them to fight for amending the current laws of protection for animals. With so much of loop holes in our dozens of laws in the many states which allow the sacrifice/ slaughter of animals for religions occasions it is no surprise that Nation heads of other countries also find an excuse in pleasing the Gods via this country. Mr Amitabh Bachchan, the hottest vegetarian alive according to PETA. Last time when he fell seriously sick, some handful of politicians allegedly at the behest of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav ( then chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and a close friend of Mr. Bachchan ) came to Kamakhya and offered the sacrifice of Bufalo and other animals to please the Goddess. Check link: http://www.deccanherald.com/archives/dec132005/national17594620051212.asp What faith, animals killed to save the Greatest Vegetarian alive. It was reported in the media and the press and I had also personally reported through Ms. Anuradha Sawhney to inform Amitabh Bachchan about this incident after his recovery. I do not know if people are becoming more and more religious in India or elsewhere. But what I know and have seen is that the trend of showing off and showing off in style and getting widespread publicity is one of the reasons why the numbers of slaughter whether for Eid or Pujas is multiplying. Every time such an issue of mass slaughter is reported in the media or the press, the helplessness of the animal rights people also gets free publicity. I am told that in a place called Rani 10 Buffalos were brought yesterday. 6 were slaughtered ( photo link in one of my earlier posts ) and 4 were released. Whereas in Nalbari district in a place called Belsor 100 Buffalos were sacrificed. This was the same place where an IPS officer and the Superintendent of Police last year sacrificed and danced with a Buffalo head on his shoulders. Ironically the SP challenged animal rights activists to dare punish him for what he had done. He said that he did not commit a crime or an offense and the law allowes him freedom to sacrifice an animal for religion ! This year it is alleged that a senior minister in the state government was also party to the slaughter. Well since there is no hope for the laws to improve. It would be better to highlight incidents like the Puja in Kolkata where a no kill ceremony was performed, and also the animal welfare fraternity should in some form recognize such incidents and publicize them to the maximum. The session on religions at the last AfAc was such a wonderful thing to have started, let us carry forward that effort. Time was a constraint then, but almost a year now since the last AfAc, I do not think we have initiated any significant effort collectively as to what we should be doing ahead. Azam On 10/21/07, NARESH KADYAN <chairmanpfaharyana wrote: > > The King of Nepal also visits Kamakhya temple in Assam for animal > sacrifice > & this practice is still going on in India, when it will be under control, > in my opinion punishments should be reviewed along with awareness among > the > public, > regards, > Naresh Kadyan > > On 10/21/07, Dr.Chinny Krishna <drkrishna<drkrishna%40aspick.com>> > wrote: > > > > Killing any animal is usually wrong; killing them in the name of a god > > or > > godesses hypocritical. > > > > The suffering of the people of Nepal and the slaughter of the members of > > the > > King a few years ago > > is due to such stupid practices. The King is said to be an incarnation > of > > Vishnu and himself used to indulge > > in this senseless slaughter. > > > > The only silver lining is the awakening of a few blessed souls who are > > questioning this illogical practice. > > > > S. Chinny Krishna > > > > > > aapn <aapn%40><aapn%40> [ > > aapn <aapn%40><aapn%40>]On Behalf Of > > Weintraub > > Saturday, October 20, 2007 8:28 PM > > aapn <aapn%40><aapn%40> > > Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter > > > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm > > Revulsion over Nepal animal slaughter > > By Charles Haviland > > BBC News, Kathmandu > > > > The people of Nepal are celebrating their biggest national festival, > > Dashain. > > The 15-day annual religious feast marks the victory of the Hindu goddess > > Durga over a feared demon and symbolises the triumph of good over evil. > > > > There are a wealth of rites in the goddess's name, and sacred grass is > > being > > grown in special pots all over the country to be used as a blessing this > > Sunday, the 10th and most important festival day. > > > > Every Hindu home has been cleaned and decorated to welcome the goddess. > > The > > markets have been heaving as shoppers seek out new clothes and > foodstuffs, > > and many thousands are returning to their home villages from the cities > > and > > from foreign countries to spend time with their families. > > > > Mass slaughter > > > > But increasingly voices are being heard questioning what takes place on > > its > > eighth and ninth days - this Friday and Saturday - when hundreds of > > thousands of animals are ritually slaughtered as a sacrifice for Durga. > > > > Visible in the Kathmandu traffic among all the shoppers are youths > walking > > with herds of goats; motorbikes with live chickens dangling from the > > sides; > > and trucks crammed with buffaloes arriving from India. > > > > On Friday and Saturday, and especially during the night in between, > known > > as > > " Kal Ratri " or the " Dark Night " , thousands of these animals as well as > > sheep > > and ducks will be slaughtered across the nation. > > > > Animals are killed in the smallest villages or in cities like Kathmandu, > > where the courtyard of the Taleju Temple, opened just once a year, will > > end > > up flowing with blood. > > > > It will yield a feast of meat. But it is also said to have a religious > > meaning - the killing being a sacrifice to honour the goddess and > prevent > > her anger in the year ahead. > > > > The new dissenters are questioning both the scale and the methods of the > > killing. > > > > An article in the Nepali Times weekly says most buffaloes, like smaller > > animals, are decapitated but the bigger ones are battered to death with > a > > heavy hammer on the forehead. > > > > 'Such cruelty' > > > > A respected botanist, Dr Tirtha Shrestha - writing in the same paper - > > says > > that in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, pigs are skinned alive and their > > beating > > hearts offered to the temple, while in a nearby village people tear > apart > > a > > live goat. > > > > He asks what kind of people take pleasure in such cruelty, even > suggesting > > that a society which treats animals so brutally will be brutal to human > > beings too. > > > > " Decapitating a bleating buffalo or goat should not be the symbol of the > > Nepali civilisation, " he says. " Why are we exhibiting such cruelty, and > > how > > does this reflect on our society? " > > > > Dr Shrestha accepts that to eat meat, animals must be killed. > > > > " But why do we have to inflict such pain before we do so? This is not > just > > inhuman, it is also against the law in many countries. It is morally > wrong > > to torture fellow creatures under any circumstances, but to do so in the > > name of religion is a sin. " > > > > Another Nepali man, Arun Poudel, sending a mass email, picks up on this > > last > > theme. > > > > Animal sacrifices > > > > He says people should stop killing animals in the name of Hinduism's > > respected goddesses and gods. > > > > " Maybe the deities will start wanting human blood soon, " he muses > grimly. > > > > Such sentiments are spreading. Although animal rights are not a major > > concern in Nepal, an animal protection group recently held a rally in > the > > capital against the yearly tradition of animal sacrifices. > > > > And, speaking to the BBC, one Nepalese journalist who has been a > > vegetarian > > for many years said he was delaying his visit to his village to avoid > the > > killing. > > > > " I can't stand the slaughter, " he said. " If a goat is killed, I run > away. > > When I was a small kid, I'd hide indoors all day or go to the jungle. " > > > > He believes about 1,000 animals will die in his small village in the > hills > > where, he says, certain men have taken up the " hobby " of Dashain > > slaughtering and will provide the service for many households. > > > > The Kathmandu Post newspaper reports on another group of dissenters. It > > says > > two entire villages in Gorkha, in west-central Nepal, have shunned > > sacrifices for as long as 90 years and gone largely vegetarian as they > > believe in non-violence. > > > > At the moment, however, these voices are still few and far between. > > > > Nepal is a country where most people are too poor to eat meat regularly > > and > > regard it as a great treat. There is not as strong a tradition of > > vegetarianism as there is in neighbouring India, which also has a Hindu > > majority. > > > > For the time being at least, The feast-day spilling of animals' blood > > looks > > set to continue. > > > > Story from BBC NEWS: > > http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7052543.stm > > > > Published: 2007/10/19 16:34:44 GMT > > > > © BBC MMVII > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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