KATHMANDU, Nov 23: Animal Welfare Network Nepal (AWNN) and Anti Animal Sacrifice Alliance (AASA) have sent an emotional last minute appeal to the organizers of Gadhimai Festival to halt the mass sacrifice of animals on Tuesday and Wednesday. They also sent appeals to Gadhimai visitors to give the animals a new lease of life.
In a letter to head priest Mangal Chaudhary and organizing committee chairman Shiva Chandra Kushwaha, the campaigners have written: "We beg to you on our knees to consider our plea. You, as the main two responsible persons for the world´s largest animal sacrifice, have the ability to show wisdom, compassion and courage by doing everything in your power to abolish the killing of innocent creatures in the name of the God. If you do so, the world will always remember you as the key decision-makers in stopping the killings."
The plea will be enforced during a symbolic ritual on Monday at Gahawa Mai temple in Birgunj.
The campaigners are also sending appeals to the Gadhimai visitors urging them to either keep the animals at home or donate the animals to them. AWNN, together with the Department of Livestock Services, have made arrangements to shelter the donated animals.
Meanwhile, speaking at Nepal Tourism Board on Monday, Australian campaigner Sarah Wilker made a last minute appeal to the Nepali people and leaders to stop the animal sacrifice. "There is a danger that this will result in an international boycott of Nepal´s trade and tourism, which will cripple the economy of the country. If the government cares for the economic future of its people, it should show the moral strength required to stop the sacrifice," she said, adding that international opposition to the sacrifice is rapidly gaining momentum.
On the occasion, over 4,000 signatures collected to request the government to stop the mass sacrifice were handed over to the Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation and Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives.
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i remained with the animals in my heart from California during the horrifying slaughter in Nepal this week. I am still heartbroken. so many of us ask how this could be done by supposedly peaceful people. i will never look at Nepal the same way ever again. we have got to grow. our empathy has got to blossom! As long as this carnage continues there is no hope for this planet. i´m incredulous.
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katedanaher
The world is watching and we will not forget.
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Geoff Knight
if you continue to eat meat, killing is inevitable. so why all this hoopla about a ritual? somehow killing in hidden place rather than out in open is justified? cut down this hypocrisy! this smells a lot like certain western groups are making lots of noise about this event to push their own religious agenda.
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qpasdl
I appeal to the hindus at Gadhimai: Stop this cruelty at once. I am a staunch hindu too. I have read the upanishads and the geeta. No where is cruelty to animals endorsed. On the contrary, meat eating is prohibited for seekers of spiritual destiny. BG and Bhagavatam clearly proscribes such acts. I understand that ´Tyaga´ or ´sacrifice´ is a great act.. people fast on ekadasi, give up on something that they love after visiting kashi etc. These acts of sacrifice are not to
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Rahul Suresh
I as a part of this world, plea for the release of all the animals that will be sacrificed to tomarrow and dayafter. Nepal the place buddha was born was born doesnot suit to do such a sinful act in the name of god.
If those animals are killed tomarrow, the law of karma will hunt you back till death later in life.. let all those animal live again in this world.
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