Devotees cock a snook at ban on animal sacrifice

It was a macabre incident that would have left even the stone-hearted squirm and take a deep breath before gaining his confidence. Only those who were possessed or in trance could witness the scene without chill running down their spines.

Chicken, goats and buffaloes were sacrificed and blood, literally, flowed like water as hundreds of hapless birds and animals were hacked one after another—to appease the goddess and in the belief that would do them good.

Thousands of people, who had gathered in front of temples, would have felt churning sensation and hundreds of policemen and other officials, who were to enforce ban on animal sacrifice to appease the goddesses, remained mute spectators. Huffing, bleating and cackling sent the large crowds into frenzy instead of evoking sympathy. The butchers, with bloodshot eyes, unmoved by the plight of animals and birds, hacked them amidst raising of slogans by the crowds praising the goddess.

Scene: Shrine of goddess Manikeswari at Bhawanipatna, the headquarters of tribal-dominated backward district of Kalahandi. More than 50,000 animals and birds were mercilessly killed. The devotees had gathered not only from different corners of the district but also from other parts of Odisha and neighbouring states. In far away Bhuban­es­war, Archana Sahu, an ardent animal lover, strongly disapproved any kind of torture or cruelty on animals. No wonder, on the eve of Dussera, like in the past, she was worried and disturbed.

“I do not know when and how this gory practice in shrines would come to an end. But it is certainly very disturbing,” said the 50-year-old home maker, a strict vegetarian. Animal rights activist and Odisha head of the well-known NGO, People for Animals Jiban Ballav Das agreed with her. 

Das and his associates have been launching campaigns against the animal sacrifice on the eve of every Dussera.

“Besides on-the-spot campaign, we do write letters to district authorities to take adequate steps to stop the ritual. But the res­ponse has often been lukewarm,” the activist said.

According to reports from the district, a street leading to the shrine was soaked with animal blood as devotees offered the innocent animals to the presiding deity with the hope that they will be blessed by the goddess and their wish will be fulfilled.

The local municipal authorities had to engage about 50 sweepers to clean the street after the ritual was over. Though the police and officials were present on the spot to maintain “law and order”, they remained silent and turned mute spectators. The only explanation the authorities gave after the ritual was they had launched an awareness campaign before the event but to no avail.

Some of the other shrines and temples where animals were sacrificed this year during Dussera and later the Kali Puja are goddess Panchubarahi temple at
Satabhaya in coastal Kendrapara district, Dakshina Kali temple in coastal Jajpur district and the shrine of a local goddess at Sasana Damodarpur village in coastal Puri district. Activists maintained that the gory ritual could have been stopped at least one or two of the above shines this year had the local police been a little alert and supportive. A case in point is Sasana Damodarpur village in Puri district.

On the eve of the Dussera, there was a meeting in the village where a majority of the villagers expressed was for stopping animal sacrifice at the village shrine. Only a handful of youth insisted on continuing with the ritual.

This prompted some of the villagers to register a police complaint at the local police station with the hope that the police will intervene and stop the ritual as a majority of the villa­gers were against it. But the police did not act which encouraged the pro-sacrifice youth to conduct the barbaric ritual.

Many in the state are of the view that the government should come out with a strict new law to end the age-old ritual. But many others, including activists, do not agree with the suggestion.

According to them, the problem can be solved through many existing laws like the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the Wildlife Protection Act and even sections under the Indian Penal Code. 

“There are enough clauses under these existing laws through which the ritual like animal sacrifice can be stopped. What is needed is sincere efforts on part of the government and the local administration,” said activist Das.

Citing an example, he said a large-scale animal sacrifice was going on at the temple of goddess Bhgabati in Banapur in Khurda district a couple of years back. However, that has come to an end now. “Of course, the district administration was armed with a HC order.” Activists as well as officials also acknowledge that the need of the hour is creation of more awareness among the people, particularly in the tribal and backward areas.

“Animal sacrifice is a ritual which has been going on since centuries. Therefore, no law, either existing or new, can stop this. The only way it can be stopped is more and more awarenesss among the people”, said a senior official in the law
department of the state government who did not want to be quoted.