Many of the religious rituals,temple celebration and social festivities in India involve either the torture or sacrifice of animals. This practice is based on the widely prevalent superstition that rituals involving the sacrifice of animals help ward off evils. For instance in Tamil Nadu the widely popular festival of Pongal held in mid-January has for many years now been in the eye of the storm on account of the cruelty that bulls are subjected to during Jallikattu or bull fight held as part of the festival.
Animal lovers and voluntary agencies have been filing public interest litigations (PIL) urging the courts to ban the festival. However, bull fights continue to be held without any let-up or hindrance. According to the State Government any attempt to ban the festival would hurt the sentiments of the people. This in turn could give rise to a law and order problem.
At times, not only the bulls but also those participating in the fight and even spectators sustain injuries following the bulls running amok and attacking anyone coming in their way. In the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, the failure to hold a bullfight during Pongal is considered an ill omen. Although Jallikattu has become an international tourist attraction in some areas like Alanganallur over the years due to the promotional efforts by the State Government, very little is being done to make this ritual safe for animals, participants and the spectators.
In the good old days, jallikattu used to be a somewhat crude version of boxing or wrestling, a sport involving one-to-one combat. However now, social activists assert, that the festival has assumed a barbaric slant with a group of young men simultaneously attacking a bull provoked by rubbing chilli powder into its eyes.
Animal sacrifice in various parts of India is quite common during the celebration of Dushera. A few years back, the Tamil Nadu Government was forced to withdraw its ban on animal sacrifice after, priests and devotees threatened to lead an agitation. Resulting in the State Government aborting its plans to “give life” to its much touted Tamil Nadu Animals and Birds Sacrifices Prohibition Act 1950.
In neighouring Karnataka, a temple festival held in the village of Kadbanahalli involves catching foxes with iron nets and taking them in procession to the temple of Ranganathaswamy. Though these foxes are set free after the festival is over, they are subjected to cruelty while being caught from the forest dwellings.
Though social workers and animal lovers in Orissa equate animal sacrifice as a social menace like untouchability and casteism, many temples across the State continue the tradition of animal sacrifice especially during festivals like Dushera. For instance the Durga Puja festival in the Manikeswari temple in the State is celebrated by the sacrifice of more than 2000 goats.
The sacrifice of goats during festive occasions is common in temples in other parts of India as well. In fact, social activists are of view that there is a need to mobilize public opinion against the torture and sacrifice of animals, ostensibly to uphold tradition and custom.
Similarly in Nongtalang, a small, little known hamlet in the Jaintia hills of North-Eastern State Meghalaya, a leopard was sacrificed a few years ago as part of the Rong Khela, a traditional festival celebrated by the Jaintia tribals. The village tribals, adherent believers in the traditional animalist custom called Niam Tynrai, firmly believe that this festival helps ward off evils. Indeed, for the people of Nongtalang, which is located on the undulated southern slope of Jaintia hills, a few kilometers away from the Indo-Bangladesh border, Rong Khela is a centuries old tradition that cannot be given a go-by.
Not only that. The Kamakhya temple in Guwhati in neighouring Assam is also known for rituals involving animal sacrifice. Here goats and buffaloes are sacrificed to appease Goddess Kamakhya. The Kali shrine in Kolkata is also known to follow the tradition of animal sacrifice.
In addition to temple festivals, seasonal harvest festivals in many parts of South India have become an occasional for torturing and killing animals like fox, pig, pigeon, mongoose, squirrel and porcupines. In parts of North Karnataka, it is common to sacrifice animals during the festivities associated with Holi celebrations.
However, according to religious activists the devotees who offer animal sacrifice are simply fulfilling their vows. Notwithstanding, that many a times the practice of animal sacrifice becomes a health hazard with the carcass of the sacrificed animal thrown in the open where they decompose.
On the other hand, animal rights champions point out the need for inculcating a scientific spirit and compassionate attitude among the youngsters from their school-going age .Even as they advocate setting up a police force meant exclusively to prevent rituals involving animal sacrifice this could prove counter-productive and attract a social backlash.
Recall, more than a decade back, Tamil Nadu witnessed widespread protests against the move to ban animal sacrifices in temples and during religious festivities. In Tiruchirapllai, the People’s Art and Literacy Association along with the Revolutionary Students and Youth Front slaughtered a goat outside the Sappaniswamy temple to protest what they called State interference in their religious beliefs. Similarly, in yet another temple in Tiruchirapalli, young lambs were sacrificed and the lambs’ blood was savored merrily by the temple priest.
That apart, animal lovers around the world are up in arms against the use of animals as guinea pigs in bio-medical research and drug development. While testing the efficacy of drugs many animals including rats and rabbits are subjected to cruelty and suffering. In fact, many of the breakthroughs in bio-medical research and drug developments were made possible by the use of animals.
Of course, recent advances in molecular biology, medical science and genetic engineering have opened up the possibility of progressively reducing the use of animals in experiments involving bio-medical research and drug development. Interestingly, for more than a century now, two-third of the Nobel Prizes awarded in physiology or bio-medical research have been for commendable breakthroughs achieved through the use of animals. — INFA