Ondanks massaal protest verbiedt Nepalese regering niet de offering van tienduizenden dieren en vogels tijdens Terai hindu festival

Nepal not to ban animal killings at Terai fair

02-11-2009 The Times of India, India


KATHMANDU: Despite urgings by animal rights activists to prevent the wanton slaughter of thousands of animals and birds at a Hindu festival in the Terai plains at the end of this month, Nepal’s government Monday said it would not ban the killings due to religious sensitivities but would hope that public consciousness would rise in future to stop the practice voluntarily.

"We can’t use force to stop the animal sacrifices at the Gadhimai Fair,” Information and Communications Minister Shankar Pokhrel, who is also the spokesman of the current coalition government of Nepal, told TNN. "We have to keep in mind the psychology and sentiments of different communities."

Pokhrel, whose government has been urged by Indian animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi to intervene at the Gadhimai Fair in Bara district along the Indo-Nepal border where this year the temple authorities have announced they would kill at least 500,000 birds and beasts, said while he personally admired Maneka Gandhi, the government would not impose its will on any community in religious matters.

Told that Nepal had banned the sati system – that too was once part of the Hindu culture – the communist minister said it was possible due to the growing consciousness of the people themselves. “The government would like to encourage the growth of this consciousness so that in future the tradition of sacrifices stops on its own.”

However, he said the government would keep vigil along the quarantine posts on the Indo-Nepal border to discourage the smuggling of animals from India into Nepal for the sacrifice and would take action against people guilty of violating the law.

Animal rights activists say a large part of the devotees at the fair are from India. Since animal sacrifices are forbidden in Bodh Gaya in Bihar and its neighbourhood, hardcore Hindus travel all the way to Nepal to take part in the fair, which is held every five years, to be allowed to slaughter beasts at the altar.

(Bron: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)