Despite protests, Gadhimai prepares for mass sacrifice
UPENDRA LAMICHHANE
BIRGUNJ, Nov 14: Despite vehement protests from national and international activists against the brutal practice of sacrificing animals, it is business as usual in Bariyarpur, Bara. The preparations for the Gadhimai festival have almost completed. And thousands of animals are likely to get slaughtered during the festival which falls on November 24 and 25.
Ram Bahadur Bamjan, the Buddha boy, has promised to reach Gadhimai on November 20 in his campaign to stop the carnage at any cost, while Indian animal rights activist and parliamentarian Maneka Gandhi has also written to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal urging him to stop animal sacrifice.
Chief priest of Gadhimai Mangal Chaudhari, on the other hand, has reiterated the sacrificial offerings will be made to avoid confrontation with the locals. He opined that the age-old practice should not be stopped at once but should be gotten rid of gradually by raising awareness.
Human rights activist of Kalaiya Roshan Aryal concurs and believes stopping sacrifice forcefully would invite confrontation.
The government has decided to deploy 1,000 additional security persons in the area to avoid untoward incidents. Undeterred by protests, however, chief priest Chaudhari, has claimed that more than 20,000 buffaloes would be sacrificed on November 24, while as many goats, pigeons and ducks would be offered the next day.
“There have been widespread protests against sacrificing animals. But they are not enough to stop killings,” said Satya Shrestha, a journalist from Kalaiya. According to Shrestha, a majority of locals have already bought goats, buffaloes, pigeons and ducks for the ritual. “It is an age-old tradition among the locals to sacrifice animals. It is not possible to change their beliefs overnight,” Shrestha opined.
There has been a massive hike in price of animals of late. “We have bought this goat to offer to Gadhimai,” Lalbabi Sah of Parasauni had said, adding, “We didn´t have a son and had promised to offer a goat at Gadhimai five years ago. Now that we have been blessed with a son, we have to offer this goat to the deity,” Sah reasons. She said more than hundred goats have been bought for sacrifice in her village alone.
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Despite Protests, Gadhimai Prepares For Mass Sacrifice
It is shame !!!! to all Nepalese & all hindus all over the world, the goddes never want blood Ohhh my god !!!!!!!!
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Saniya
these protesters are hypocrites at best .. this again smells of church initiated propaganda to throw negative light on existing culture and tradition of the land. rituals are like this are exactly what is needed to make people aware of their source of meat. corporate slaughter houses of the western world kill millions of animals every day. since those killing are hidden, these protesters somehow think they are holier-than-the-rest. if you want to eat meat, you should be willing to kill or see th
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pwpasl
What is the issue on question?
Is it the stopping of animal sacrifice? kif it is so, then there are other areas to be stopped such as during dashain.
Also, why differentiate beyween sacrifice and killing for meat?
A life is lost in both cases.
Or is this opposition to the mass killings? if it is so then, I still cannot see how stopping this would lead to a better idea for animal rights. if possible campaign for an end to meat eati
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Ratnesh
I am suprised that why peoples are opisiong the hindus tradition,every day thousands of animals are killed for meat and many poltrey and animals husbandary industries are depends open in these meat shops and festivles, we know that many peoples kept goat n chicken focusiong for vijaya dashami and gadimai festivel thainking that they will gets good money in that times. so peoples are hapazardly rise voices aganist the animals secrifice, which is under the nepalese tradinions.
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