By IANS
Kolkata : Sustained campaign by an animal welfare group against slaughter of animals during religious occasions has touched a chord with a former royal family of West Bengal, prompting it to discontinue its century-old tradition.
The erstwhile royal family of Nabadwip in West Bengal’s Nadia district stopped its tradition of animal sacrifice during religious festivals after the group People for Animals (PFA) voiced its concern and started a campaign against animal sacrifice.
Following this decision by the ex-royals, the Nabadwip Central Ras Committee also took an oath to spread awareness against animal sacrifice among all puja organisers.
“If the royal family of Nabadwip can stop animal sacrifice, why can’t we? Their decision is worth emulating,” Nabadwip Central Ras Committee working president Dilip Chattopadhyay said.
“We have received tremendous response across West Bengal and the ripples of our campaign have reached many remote corners of the state. We have carried out the drive in Birbhum, Nadia, East and West Midnapore, Bankura and Howrah,” said Debashis Chakraborty of PFA.
“We can’t encourage medieval practices in the 21st century,” he added.
PFA, a voluntary animal protection organisation, headed by Maneka Gandhi, is dedicated to prevention of cruelty against animals.
Founded in 1986, the organisation spearheads a popular movement to respect all life on earth.
Its initiative has successfully impacted the religious sentiments of several religious bodies as many of them stopped the animal sacrifices in their temples.
“After our campaign, Dakshineswar Temple authority stopped animal sacrifice at their temple premises officially in 2000,” Chakraborty said.
“This year, a few people also stood up against animal sacrifice at Khatanga village in Birbhum,” he said.
The PFA also protested against animal sacrifice in the open at Kalighat temple in Kolkata, which later resulted in considerable reduction in the number of animals sacrificed.
A division bench of Calcutta High Court, comprising Chief Justice V.S. Sirpurkar and Justice Nadira Patherya, hearing a petition by P.R. Goenka, said open slaughter was banned in Kolkata as per municipal laws. It added that the Kalighat Temple was a tourist destination and visitors could not be forced to watch the bloodbath.
The Calcutta High Court ruling Sep 15, 2006 came as a blow to the chief priest of the temple. Animal lovers had started protesting the practice in 2000.
“Our protest forced Nepal King Gyanendra to abstain from animal sacrifice during his last visit to Kolkata in June 2002. It was one of our greatest achievements in making people understand not to sacrifice animals in the name of religious beliefs,” Chakraborty said.
As part of its protests against the killing of animals in the name of religion, PFA organises a blood donation camp on the day of Kali Puja at its animal hospital complex, Ashari, in the city.