Thousands of animals sacrificed at tribal festival in eastern India

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Headline: Reports: Thousands of animals sacrificed at tribal festival in

eastern India -- Detail Story

 

 

 

BHUBANESHWAR, India: Hindus sacrificed tens of thousands of goats, sheep

and buffaloes as part of a tribal festival in eastern India last week,

local media reports said Sunday.

 

Devotees killed at least 20,000 animals to appease tribal deity

Suliabudha during the five-day festival in Khairaguda, a remote village

in eastern Orissa state, The Samaj newspaper reported. The village is

about 350 kilometers (220 miles) west of Bhubaneshwar, the capital of

Orissa.

 

``The village street looked like a river of blood,'' said another local

daily, Dharitri.

 

Nearly 50,000 devotees took part in the festival, which ended Saturday,

reports said.

 

Police and district administrators watched the rite, although animal

sacrifice is illegal under India's Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act

of 1960 and the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

 

Enforcement of the federal laws, however, is weak in several states

where local governments hesitate to become involved in religious

matters. State officials in Orissa often point out that the laws don't

specifically ban sacrifices in temples and shrines.

 

Two years ago, the High Court in Orissa banned animal sacrifice at a

Hindu temple in Sirlo village, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) north of

Bhubaneshwar, after an appeal by local residents. But the ban applied

only to that temple.

 

 

 

 

Animals sacrificed in drought-hit Orissa distt to appease gods

 

<http://news.indiaabroad.com/2001/01/04/04sacrifice.html>

http://news.indiaabroad.com/2001/01/04/04sacrifice.html

Jatindra Dash, Bhubaneswar

Jan 03, 2001 13:40 Hrs (IST)

 

 

HOUSANDS of farm animals were sacrificed as part of an old annual tribal

custom in villages in the impoverished Bolangir district of western

Orissa.

 

 

Roosters, goats and buffaloes were put to death during the Sulia Yatra

festival Tuesday by the residents of 12 villages seeking to appease the

gods with the belief that the drought that has gripped the area is an

outcome of divine wrath.

 

 

About 10,000 cocks, 3,000 goats and 150 buffaloes were killed during the

festival this year, according to eyewitnesses. College professor Govind

Meher said that in his Jarasingha village alone he had witnessed the

killing of at least 100 animals.

 

 

" Although the district is reeling under severe drought, people

celebrated this festival with pomp and gaiety to satisfy the gods, "

another villager said. " People believe that god's anger is the reason

behind the acute drought the district is facing, therefore they offered

more animals this year for killing during the festival, " he said.

 

 

" I cannot say how many animals have been sacrificed but if the total

sacrifice would be taken into account the number would be more than a

thousand, " Rajanikant Das, the additional superintendent of police, told

IANS. " We cannot check this because it is a traditional festival and law

does not allow it to be stopped. What we can do is to create awareness, "

he added.

 

 

The festival was reportedly celebrated in a big way in the Khairaguda,

Kumuria, Mirdhapali, Kharlikani, Chandrapur and Thairaguda villages in

the district, located some 300 km from state capital Bhubaneswar. All

these villages are surrounded by forests and are situated within a 100

km radius from the district headquarters.

 

 

As part of their custom, tribespeople first wash the animal to be

sacrificed and anoint it with turmeric. The animals are then hacked in

the presence of hundreds, including women and children. The sacrifices

carry one through the one-day festival. The Dehuri, a woman considered

an incarnation of a goddess, drinks the sacrificed animal's blood to

drive out evil spirits.

 

 

" While many villages have stopped the killing of animals during this

occasion, a large number of villages still continue the tradition, " a

district official said. " Animal sacrifice is a 100-year-old practice

here and it is difficult to stop unless the villagers are well educated.

However, the number of killings is going down year by year. We are

hopeful that a day will come when there will be no killing, " he said.

 

 

Some eminent people of Bolangir had tried to hold a meeting to mobilize

opinion against animal sacrifice ahead of the festival, but no one

reportedly attended.

 

 

" Although the state government has been creating awareness against the

killing of animals, there is no law to stop the celebration and

sacrifices. Therefore we are not able to check this heinous act, " a

district police officer said.

 

 

 

 

 

India - 20,000 Animals

Slaughtered In Orissa 'Festival'

By Jatindra Dash

Indo-Asian News Service

1-16-2

 

 

 

 

Bhubaneswar (IANS) - At least 20,000 animals have been sacrificed as

part of a tribal custom in Orissa.

 

 

 

The Sulia Yatra, or the killing festival, is common in the villages of

Bolangir district in this eastern Indian coastal state. The sacrifice of

about 20,000 animals Tuesday was done to appease the gods.

 

 

 

" Roosters, goats and buffalos were put to death during the festival in

about a dozen of villages, said Dinabandhu Panda, who witnessed the

proceedings.

 

 

 

" Villagers believe that all their suffering is because of divine wrath

and the sacrifice of animals will ensure that the gods protect them, "

Panda, who works as a lecturer in a local college, told IANS.

 

 

 

The villages that saw the festivities are situated within a 50-km radius

from the district headquarters of Bolangir, some 327 km from state

capital Bhubaneswar.

 

 

 

About 1,200 goats, 60 buffalos and about 6,000 roosters were sacrificed

before the Sulia deity by the priest in Khairaguda village alone, Panda

claimed.

 

 

 

" I cannot say how many animals have been sacrificed but if the total

sacrifice would be taken into account their numbers would be thousands, "

said district police chief R.K. Sharma.

 

 

 

" Suliya Yatra is a traditional festival and we cannot stop them

immediately, " he told IANS.

 

 

 

Many villages have stopped the killing of animals, but several continue

the barbaric practice, Sharma said. " Animal sacrifice is a 100-year-old

practice here and we are going to create awareness among them (the

tribals) in a phased campaign, " he said.

 

 

 

As a part of the custom, tribals first bathe the animals to be

sacrificed and anoint them with turmeric. The animals are then hacked in

the presence of thousands of people.

 

 

 

The Dehuri, a woman considered an incarnation of goddess Suliya Devi,

drinks the sacrificed animal's blood amidst drum beating and chanting of

mantras to drive out evil spirits. In some villages, the Dehuri is a

man.

 

 

 

" The people should be told that this custom is cruel, " said Priya Ranjan

Babu, an animal rights activist in the area.

 

 

 

2001 IANS India Private Limited. All rights Reserved.

 

 

Thousands of animals sacrificed for tribal festival

 

BHUBANESWAR, IANS

 

 

 

In a barbaric ritual dating back 100 years, thousands of domestic

animals were sacrificed on a single day as part of an annual tribal

custom in Orissa's Bolangir district.

 

Residents of about a dozen villages in the district, 327 km from here,

sacrificed the animals on Tuesday to appease the local Sulia deity, a

senior district police official said over the phone.

 

All kinds of animals, including roosters, goats and buffaloes, met a

bloody end as thousands of people watched.

 

The biggest gathering was in Khairguda village where about 50,000

people, including children, watched the blood-soaked event, the official

said.

 

Tribal priests first bathed the animals and anointed them with turmeric

before hacking them. The sacrifice started in the morning and continued

the whole day.

 

A large number of policemen were deployed to maintain law and order.

 

As part of the rituals, the 'Dehuri', a woman considered an incarnation

of goddess Suliya Devi, drank a sacrificed animal's blood amidst drum

beating and chanting of mantras to drive away evil spirits, the official

said.

 

In some villages, a male took on the role of a Dehuri.

 

The killing festival is common in the villages of Bolangir district.

 

" Villagers believe that all their suffering is because of divine wrath

and the sacrifice of animals will ensure that the gods protect them, " he

said.

 

The slaughters went on despite strenuous protests from NGOs and animal

rights organisations.

 

Gobinda Meher, a lecturer in a local college, said: " Many villages have

stopped the killing of animals, but several continue the barbaric

practice. It is a traditional annual festival that has been going on for

100 years and cannot be stopped immediately. "

 

 

 

Indian Laws As They Apply to Animals and Religious Sacrifice

<http://www.petaindia.com/images/slaughter.gif>

_____

 

 

Not one religion requires human or animal sacrifice. However, all

religions mandate kind treatment. Several states in India have laws

prohibiting animal sacrifice. In modern society, the sacrifice of

animals in the name of religion or ancient rituals is a step backwards

on the clock of civilisation.

 

All animal sacrifices and rituals have been deemed illegal under the

Magic Remedies Act. The sacrifice of cattle is specifically illegal

under the cow protection laws. A ruling by the West Bengal High Court

also makes it illegal to sacrifice cattle on the occasion of Id. The use

of bulls in the festival of Jallikattu in Karnataka is illegal.

 

The following states have specific laws prohibiting the sacrifice of any

animal (including birds). Offenders should be reported to the local

animal protection group, and an FIR should be lodged with the police.

 

• Karnataka

• Tamil Nadu

• Andhra Pradesh

• Orissa

• Gujarat

• Himachal Pradesh

 

No wild animals or birds may ever be used for sacrifice or any religious

ritual, as it is strictly forbidden under the Wildlife Protection Act to

catch, keep or kill them. This includes the use of:

 

• Snakes during Nag Panchami.

• Monkeys confined in Hanuman mandirs.

• Foxes trapped for Makar Sankranti in Karnataka.

• Poaching as part of tribal festivals.

 

All of these are illegal and punishable with a fine of Rs 25,000 and

years in jail.

 

 

 

GEVHA- Grupo para el Estudio de la Violencia Hacia Humanos y Animales.

Educación Humanitaria.

Group for the Study of Violence towards Humans & Animals. Humane

Education.

 

http://www.jobs.ge/gevha/

http://www.violenciaanimales/

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" La conmiseración con los animales esta íntimamente ligada con la bondad

de caracter, de tal suerte que se puede afirmar seguro que quien es

cruel con los animales, no puede ser buena persona. Una compasión por

todos los seres vivos es la prueba más firme y segura de la conducta

moral "

 

Arthur Schopenhauer (filósofo alemán)

 

 

" Primum, non noccere " - Hipócrates (médico griego)

 

 

 

 

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