(NP - IN) Gadimai killing fields - Nepal-Indian cooperation needed

[Guest guest]

*Dear AAPN members in India,*

 

On November 24 the largest open air animal killings in Asia will start. The

Gadimai festival is held every 5 years; the vested interests have become so

large that this year over 200.000 animals will be killed. As you might know

we have been trying to raise awareness about the animal cruelty aspects, and

to point out the health risks, as Gadimai in 1994 introduced the dangerous

goat plague or PPR disease to Nepal.

 

Many (perhaps most?) devotees come from India. According to Avantika Regmi,

a Nepali campaigner, the reason why so many Biharis bring animals to be

sacrificed is because they live in the proximity of Bodhagaya temple, where

killing is prohibited (see info below).

 

What ever the reason is, a strong coalition between Nepali and (North)

Indian campaigners is needed to oppose the mass killings.

 

Please share your suggestions.

 

Lucia de Vries

Animal Welfare Network Nepal

www.awnnepal.blogspot.com

 

**

--------------------------------

 

 

http://stopsacrifice.blogspot.com/2007/10/movement-against-cruelty-to-animals.ht\

ml

 

 

 

Bihar is another state, which does not have any animal sacrifice prohibition

law but many other factors may be acting as buffer against animal sacrifice.

One is the association of Buddha – The Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949, prohibits

people from performing animal sacrifice within the temple precincts.

 

 

 

This is the reason why hundreds of thousands of Biharis from Nepal's

bordering districts land up to celebrate Bara's Gadimai Festival every four

years. During the festival more than hundred thousand animals and birds

including 40,000 to 50,000 buffaloes are slaughtered in a culling field. A

documentary made by Forum of Environmental Journalists shows the savagery of

the people – one scene shows forty–fifty thousand buffaloes in a large field

with hundreds of drunken men with spears and swords moving around them–

these are the people who are given a license to kill the animals. In another

scene the soil is seen soaked in blood – separated heads and bodies of

thousands of innocent animals scattered all over. There is no method to

these killing. The men are drunk and they pierce and gore the animals slowly

to their death.

 

 

 

It's almost two hundred years since the first prevention of cruelty to

animals law was enacted and almost hundred and fifty years since India came

out with statutes against cruelty to animals. But even in year 2007 Nepal

does not have a single law that protects the animals.

 

--

Lucia de Vries

Freelance Journalist

Nepal - Netherlands

 

 

 

--

Lucia de Vries

Freelance Journalist

Nepal - Netherlands

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I am GAME, we tried our best but could not prevent the last King of Nepal

from carrying out the massacre at the Kamakhya temple here.He did go back

without performing it in his presence, but I am told the priests candidly

did the needful after he had left.

 

India has some wretched animal laws and loopholes in Judiciary for which

such things are still practiced openly.

 

We have to rethink our approach towards eradicating this from our society

both in India and Nepal. And yes coalition is the BESt approach.

 

Maybe this time some of us from India can be there present in person holding

hands with our Nepal Animal People to condemn this act, and maybe vice

versa.

 

Thanks,

 

Azam

 

 

On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 1:28 PM, lucia de vries <luciadevrieswrote:

 

> *Dear AAPN members in India,*

>

> On November 24 the largest open air animal killings in Asia will start. The

> Gadimai festival is held every 5 years; the vested interests have become so

> large that this year over 200.000 animals will be killed. As you might know

> we have been trying to raise awareness about the animal cruelty aspects,

> and

> to point out the health risks, as Gadimai in 1994 introduced the dangerous

> goat plague or PPR disease to Nepal.

>

> Many (perhaps most?) devotees come from India. According to Avantika Regmi,

> a Nepali campaigner, the reason why so many Biharis bring animals to be

> sacrificed is because they live in the proximity of Bodhagaya temple, where

> killing is prohibited (see info below).

>

> What ever the reason is, a strong coalition between Nepali and (North)

> Indian campaigners is needed to oppose the mass killings.

>

> Please share your suggestions.

>

> Lucia de Vries

> Animal Welfare Network Nepal

> www.awnnepal.blogspot.com

>

> **

> --------------------------------

>

>

>

>

http://stopsacrifice.blogspot.com/2007/10/movement-against-cruelty-to-animals.ht\

ml

>

>

>

> Bihar is another state, which does not have any animal sacrifice

> prohibition

> law but many other factors may be acting as buffer against animal

> sacrifice.

> One is the association of Buddha – The Bodhgaya Temple Act, 1949, prohibits

> people from performing animal sacrifice within the temple precincts.

>

>

>

> This is the reason why hundreds of thousands of Biharis from Nepal's

> bordering districts land up to celebrate Bara's Gadimai Festival every four

> years. During the festival more than hundred thousand animals and birds

> including 40,000 to 50,000 buffaloes are slaughtered in a culling field. A

> documentary made by Forum of Environmental Journalists shows the savagery

> of

> the people – one scene shows forty–fifty thousand buffaloes in a large

> field

> with hundreds of drunken men with spears and swords moving around them–

> these are the people who are given a license to kill the animals. In

> another

> scene the soil is seen soaked in blood – separated heads and bodies of

> thousands of innocent animals scattered all over. There is no method to

> these killing. The men are drunk and they pierce and gore the animals

> slowly

> to their death.

>

>

>

> It's almost two hundred years since the first prevention of cruelty to

> animals law was enacted and almost hundred and fifty years since India came

> out with statutes against cruelty to animals. But even in year 2007 Nepal

> does not have a single law that protects the animals.

>

> --

> Lucia de Vries

> Freelance Journalist

> Nepal - Netherlands

>

>

>

> --

> Lucia de Vries

> Freelance Journalist

> Nepal - Netherlands

>

>

>