Stop giving the animal sacrifice

[Khushboo]

It's quite hard to imagine a place in Nepal where animal sacrifice is not given even during the greatest festival of the Hindus, Dashain. But two remote VDCs in Gorkha are exceptions -- there has been no animal sacrifice there for the last 90 years.


Chum area (Chumchet and Chhekampar VDCs), which is eight days’ walk from district headquarters, was declared a 'no violence zone' 90 years ago. Interestingly, there is no buying and selling of cattle either these days.

"It has been our tradition now," said Nima Lama, a local at Chhekampar VDC. He said that 'non-violence' has become their creed these days. In a country that has suffered a bloody insurgency for over a decade and is still struggling to break from the past, these two villages offer hope.

After the arrival of the Bhutan- born Rimpochhe Dorje in the village, he worked hard to convince people to follow the path of non-violence. He preached relentlessly to make villagers aware of the impact of any kind of violence. Five years after his arrival all the villagers had gone vegetarian.
With the help of local leaders, a strong rule was enforced to prevent animal sacrifice. One had to pay 250 rupees penalty if s/he sacrificed an animal.
"Nobody breached the rule," said 91-year-old Chhewang Laharke, adding, "Everyone follows the teachings of the guru and it has now become an integral part of our precious culture."

Locals have not even reared cattle except cows. "Why rear other animals since there is no use for them," said a local.
Villagers have also blocked the trading of animals through these villages. "We have taken the decision to discourage other people from animal sacrifice," said Dawang Khenrab, guru of a local monastery.

We have no right to take the life of any animal as we are not GOD. If we can't give life to anyone then at least we have no right to take life of anyone.

There is still a hope that one day the tradition of giving sacrifice will be stopped & our nation will be a voilence free zone.

Enjoy the celebration of Dashain without the sacrifice of these poor animals.

Be a human being not a murderer.......

[RAAZ]

Imagine you being slaughtered like this!!!!!!!!!!!
A brutal scene at Dakchinkali in the dashain of 2063. I captured it in my camera not because I found it interesting but becoz it looked terrifying to me and I wanted all the xenoMED members to be aware of the brutality going on in the name of religious sacrifices.




DO U THINK THE GODS ASKED FOR THIS BLOOD?


HEAD FOR THE GOD AND REST FOR THE KILLERS!!!!!!!!!


Every dashain more than lakhs of these poor animals are slaughtered this way in the name of religious sacrifice. Is there any way we can stop it?

[demon_dissector]

Originally Posted by Khushboo

Be a human being not a murderer.......

that's a bit harsh...calling humans murderers for offering something to god! in that case we would all have to be vegans...someone who doesnt eat any meat products or any dairy products...save the animal against any cruelty, now that's going to be a hard lifestyle to adapt to. seeing an animal being sacrificed is not a nice experienced, however that is our culture, and in order to eat meat, the animal needs to be killed one way or the other. should we completely stop eating meat to prevent such carnage, then what would happen to the great circle of life and the food chain.

[Walrus]

If we do not eat meat, goats and chicken will go extinct

The 91-year old guy who told us the story must have been 1 year old when the tradition started

Taking life and giving life - does anyone here disagree that plants are living things. Then what should we eat? Living does not just mean having eyes, nose, ears, legs, body. . Chum area people should be taught this before they boast of their extremism.

Against violence - bloodiest revolutions in Nepal must have started from one of their neighbouring places. Were they able to speak a word against brother-killing-brother people's movement? What remains then to boast?

Animal sacrifices - not at all a good thing the way it is done; instead of discouraging such practice, we should make a move to make it more humane.

[Rajiv]

Thank you khushboo for bringing this topic and RAAZ for pictures. Well, I am also a strong opposer of animal "sacrifice". Contrary to DD, I am not worried about ecosystem and food chain and all those factors yet, but my concern is about Method and Place of Slaughter and its Relation to Hinduism.
You do not need to watch the act of slaughtering, just look at the first picture above: There is a man with a butcher's knife, who seems to be more intelligent and powerful than the poor goat, which is half cut at the neck and its head hold upside showing blood spouting out probably to shower figures of gods and probably for some entertainment. It looks so inhumane. The sacrifice is not killed at one blow, but left behind to suffer pain for the sin it has never committed, and that happens in front of god, biggest court for theists.
I have no approach to religious (sanatan) information here but I am very curious to know whether there is a written statement in holy books that verifies that god wants sacrifices of sinner in form of helpless animals.
These animals have anyway no better future but they deserve at least ethical treatment and painless death, which is, to much extent, feasible. Notably at the time of dashain, when most of flesh-freaks are sharpening their canine, a gas chamber would be a great move towards animal rights. They were then insensible to pain and it all wouldn't look so merciless. You would not need to change your lifestyle, you remain a confirmed Non-Veg and you could again show you are a human and you do things that are humane.

[Khushboo]

I just can't understand who had started this tradition of sacrifice....

Did God asked for the blood of those animals??? God can't be so cruel. God gives life, they don't take life. Its people who started this for the sake of themselves & they have involved the name of GOD by saying that this is our tradition.

If you are killing anyone then plez kill them gently without much pain. This is my request even to all those butcher. Don't drag them so harsely.

I don't know what to say as I am also a non-veg but if you see the killing of this poor animals in front of your eyes then its really painful. Every year during the Dashain I really get emotional & plans to be vegetarian but.......

When a butcher kills the animal, this is their business but when we people are killing the animal, we say that its our tradition. When we are giving the sacrifice then why are we involving the name of GOD. Come On Yaar! Don't make any excuses we are killing those animal for our own sake not for God....

[RAAZ]

I am not a spiritual minded man. I donot say "Stop animal killing" but atleast give them as less pain as possible as Rajiv and Khusboo said. We don't need to half cut their throat and move them around in that pain to present their blood to Gods. We all know, more or less all these stuffs are done to atlast sit together at night with ailas (drinks) and meat.

So, i just mean, act like humans. Even we can't dare to see our enemies die that death. Walrus, you talked about plants and all. I was not actually talking about the killing but about the suffering. Can't we give them a little more easy death? If I would see plants too suffering when we cut them then I would ask for the same thing but I would never stop eating them coz its what life is like. Struggle for Existence and Survival of Fittest.

[demon_dissector]

Originally Posted by Rajiv

Thank you khushboo for bringing this topic and RAAZ for pictures. Well, I am also a strong opposer of animal "sacrifice". Contrary to DD, I am not worried about ecosystem and food chain and all those factors yet, but my concern is about Method and Place of Slaughter and its Relation to Hinduism.

i'm not saying i agree with the whole sacrificing animals to god thing, i'm merely playing devil's advocate and giving another side to the arguement. i was in dakhsinkali around 3 yrs back and i saw goats being sacrificed and it was quite disturbing. what i dont agree with is people putting forward their views that is so 'in your face', people shouldn't be forced to make such decision, it has to be something they come to naturally, it's quite a difficult thing not to follow the tradition especially in a nepali society as it equates wealth--> having the funds to buy the animal and then go all the way to an auspicious place to actually get it sacrificed. if you dont agree with it, dont do it. live and let live!

[Rajiv]

if you dont agree with it, dont do it. live and let live!

Very rude way of talking. I thought we wanted to discuss.

[demon_dissector]

sorry, may be it came out wrong. there are all these people who have adapted different ways of lives and acting as an evangelist trying to persuade them into their way of living. people have to be comfortable with themselves inorder to come to a certain decision that is going to affect themselves and everyone around them.

the act of 'scarificying an animal' plays a huge emotional role. As i mentioned before, it is linked with status, and being in that position probably allows some sort of mental peace, a sense of confidence...may be it has some sort of placebo effect. yes it's selfish but there are very few deeds that isn't selfish and yet makes us feel good. And may be it doesnt mention anywhere in the holy scripts that animals should sacrificed, but people get satisfaction from offering something to 'god', then why not. it's all well and good saying it's wrong and taking the high moral ground but there are lots of people (mainly women) who are depressed and have no where to turn but to god and that is probably one way coming at peace with themselves. also sacrificying animal for the sake of good health, wealth...., the fact that people have that belief means people have a positive frame of mind, there isn't a subconsious dark cloud hanging over their heads. we have to take into account that many people in nepal are illiterate and have very narrow minded ways of thinking, they are not able to understand emotionally that it's probably not the best thing to do. Also people have adapted to that way of life and out society is incredibly superstitous, people have become complaicent to it, a sudden change can bring about huge consequences in the family dynamics.

someone mentioned above that they are butchers to do such work, i believe there is only a few guys in dakhshinkali who does the sacrifycing. that's their job, different cultures but virtually the same job. they are holy butchers so to speak.