COUNTER VIEW: Animal sacrifice is kosher

Many of us might find Samajwadi Party MLA Kishore Samrite's act of sacrificing animals at the Kamakhya temple abhorrent. But that does not take away the right of Samrite, or indeed anybody else, to sacrifice animals as long as the law doesn't ban it. Assam — where Kamakhya temple is located — is one of many states in India where animal slaughter is not forbidden. There are indeed several reasons not to enforce a blanket ban on animal sacrifices in temples. First, it interferes with the right to freedom of religion of many Hindus who believe animal sacrifice is an integral part of their faith. It's not for a secular state to meddle in religious practices as long as they aren't a threat to public order.

Contrary to what some animal rights groups, such as PETA, assert, animal sacrifice has been very much a part of different religions in India, including Hinduism and Islam. This is particularly true for groups that believe in Shakti worship as well as for Dalits. Thus, in states like Tamil Nadu — where a legislation banning animal and bird sacrifices has been in place since 1950 — the ban has been there only in name. A few years ago, when the Tamil Nadu government under Jayalalithaa tried to enforce the ban, there was a backlash from Dalit groups.

They argued that for several centuries, goats and chicken have been sacrificed as offering to their deities and the meat distributed to devotees. Second, there is a flaw in the argument of activists to ban only animal sacrifices. If animal sacrifice is to be banned, there is no reason why any animal slaughter should be allowed. That would mean enforcing vegetarianism on the entire population, which is absurd. And if cruelty to animals is the issue, slaughter of animals for food is no more humane than sacrificing them at places of worship. This does not mean that people like Samrite should be encouraged. The idea of a mass sacrifice of animals reeks of a medieval mindset. This mentality should be changed through campaigns. A ban on animal sacrifices, that infringes on religious freedom, is not the answer.

Source: TOI