Thousands of animals sacrificed to appease the Hindu gods

New Delhi, October 18, 2006. - Thousands of goats, ducks, pigeons and buffalo are slaughtered these days in India by devout believers in organized ceremonies to appease the Hindu gods, according to Efe activists denounced environmentalism.
This year, only in the region of Orissa in the east, were killed during the Hindu festivals of "Durga Puja" 10,000 animals, said the NGO "People for Animals" (PFA).
"The problem is that people still believe that killing animals will lead to a better life in which they fulfill their desires," he told Efe Jiban Das, Orissa PFA delegate.
In tribal areas the custom of consecrating especially goats, ducks and pigeons, but also some buffalo.
Jiban Das now focusing its efforts on the upcoming festival of "Diwali", a sort of Hindu Christmas, does not become another "slaughter" as the complaint that his organization in the northeastern state of Assam, Kamakhya Temple, also during the "Durga Puja".
The version of the PFA, which quantifies the sacrifices of Kamakhya in 20 buffaloes, 3,000 goats and thousands of pigeons, in contrast to the position of the temple authorities to whom such amounts are an "exaggeration."
"We know that 20 buffaloes and some goats were slaughtered this year, but how can anyone sacrifice 3,000 goats in a temple in three days?. It is impossible, "said the secretary of the temple, Nabakanta Sarma.
On 1960, the Indian law on Prevention of Animal Cruelty not prohibit animal sacrifice in religious places, which has recently led to some regions, which account Orissa, to develop more restrictive regulations.
Although Das says Orissa politicians are committed to the prohibition of this ceremony, this did not prevent the Minister of Urban Development, KV Singhdeo, while a sacrifice held in the palace of his property.
The president of the region, Naveen Patnaik, was quick to condemn the incident, but the truth, according to local press, is that no party dares to censure, fearing loss of votes in a country traditionally devout.
Last January, for example, authorities restricted visits Khairguda, a town in which takes place every year the sacrifice of 20,000 animals to appease the wrath of the gods.
The celebration was held, but neither the inhabitants of neighboring villages or activists protesting near the site could see the "Dehuri", the girl who is the incarnation of gods and drinks the blood of slaughtered animals while dancing to of drums.
The problem, as recognized activist Sangeeta Goswami Efe, who has denounced these Kamakhya temple ceremonies, is that the sacrifices are so widespread that when Amitabh Bachchan, the most popular actor of Bollywood, became ill in December, were sacrificed two buffaloes in the temple to get healed.
The Bachchan case sparked the ire of environmental groups because the actor is a prominent member of PETA, other animal protection organization, but nothing could prevent their fans put into practice a tradition over 3,000 years old.
However, the consecration of animals is a story compared to other more invasive practice, concerning the slaughter of children, as happened last week in Varanasi, where a sorcerer kidnapped and beheaded a boy who played alongside the Ganges to offer it the gods as "sacrifice."