By Prasun Sonwalkar, IANS
London : After last-minute pleas to save the bovine TB infected bull Shambo were turned down by the Welsh Assembly, Hindu organisations here have decided to mount an urgent legal challenge to prevent its killing.
Sanjay Mistry, a spokesman of the Hindu groups campaigning to prevent the slaughter of the bull in the Skanda Vale Temple in Carmarthenshire, told IANS: "Skanda Vale has instructed its lawyers to prepare an urgent challenge to the Welsh Assembly's decision.
"It is expected that the claim will be lodged in the High Court by the end of this week and the court may consider the case next week. Lawyers will ask the court to stop the Welsh Assembly from acting on its decision until the case has been considered."
Swami Suryananda of the Skanda Vale Temple said: "The Welsh Assembly has chosen to dismiss the final pleas of the Hindu community and our own representations. All along we have provided constructive proposals to preserve the life of Shambo and allow us to practice our religion but it appears our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
"They have refused to listen to the suggestions and we will now be using legal means to re-dress the situation."
Speaking in the Welsh Assembly, Jane Davidson, minister for sustainability and rural development, said Shambo must be put down. She said she had "carefully considered" the views of the Skanda Vale community and the "wider Hindu community".
"I am therefore acutely aware of the strength of feeling there is in relation to this matter and of the community's request to continue to look after this bullock," the minister said.
She added: "I have concluded that in order to protect both human and animal health, which includes other TB-susceptible animals at the community, it is necessary to take measures to eliminate – as opposed to reduce or minimise – the risk of transmission of TB from this bullock.
"I have decided therefore that putting down the bullock is the only means of completely eliminating the risk. I have carefully considered all aspects and believe that it is time to act to eliminate the risks of transmission to other animals and humans.
"We want to work together with members of the community to implement the decision so that we can minimise the distress to the bullock, Shambo."
The first minister, Rhodri Morgan, said: "Human and animal health overrides the human rights and respect for the Hindu faith side of it."
Meanwhile, the Hindu Forum of Britain has written to Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Environment to review the Agricultural Law affecting sacred animals in temples.
Ishwar Tailor, president of the forum said: "Many thousands of Hindus in the UK will be deeply affected by this decision as it strikes at the core of their religious belief. We understand that Skanda Vale had earlier instructed its solicitors to take necessary legal action and we hope that the courts will make a fair and balanced decision".
Meanwhile, Guru Subramanium, the priest who set up the Skanda Vale temple in west Wales in 1975, passed away Tuesday.