V.S.Gopalakrishnan
Actually I was thinking of the title: "Wanted: A reformer for barbaric hindus who witness and practise animal sacrifice". I have just toned it down but that does not make the concerned Hindu brutes less barbaric. The navratri has just got over and I happened to see some horrible photos of animal sacrifices in Bengal. How thousands of "civilised Hindus" gleefully watch the barbaric decapitation of animals, passes my comprehension. Despite a glorious civilization and a glorious heritage, some of our Hindu practices are shameful and should have been abandoned long back.
I am not against the prescribed Hindu rituals, Vedic and Pauranic, that cause harm to nobody. Many modern-minded Hindus eschew rituals as an irrational and thoughtless practice. Nehru's atma will be happy with them. Although personally I am not a ritual-practioner, I am of the view that rituals, if properly understood, would generally seem to have merits. But animal sacrifice in temples is something that should be totally forbidden by a common Hindu reform and understanding, if necessary even by a Statute. We need not presently grapple with the Bakrid practices in Islam.
The pro-sacrifice hindus, educated as they may be, would point out that almost all religions in the world have had animal sacrifices. They will reason out that Durga will be displeased if animals are not sacrificed as per the ancient and living traditions. It must be pointed out that when Swami Vivekananda introduced the Durga Puja in Belur Math in 1901, he was in favour of "bali" (animal sacrifice) but Holy Mother (Sarada Devi) said "no" to it. Therefore, symbolically they sacrifice in that Math things such as bananas, white pumpkins and sugarcane, in lieu of animals. Why can't that practice, prevalent in Belur Math, be adopted in all places where Durga Puja is done?
It is said that the last 24 minutes of the Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of the Navami constitute the most sacred time for the animal sacrifice for Durga, the slayer of the demons Chanda and Munda. The Navami day by itself also witnesses widespread animal sacrifices. The mute victims are usually buffaloes and goats.
The Shakta cult (to the glory of Shakti) is most prevalent in Bengal, Kerala and Kashmir, that make a triangle. Assam too is as bad/good as Bengal in this respect. How do the Bengali and Assamese Hindus behave so barbarously passes my comprehension. Killing of animals for consumption, at abattoirs, is a different matter and should not be brought in to justify cruelly done animal killings for Gods. I hate the animal killings for consumption too but presently I confine myself to the gory sacrificial killings witnessed by thousands only to please the Gods. Of course animal sacrifice exists in other States too but the vigour and extent of killing witnessed during Durga Puja is never surpassed. Nepal perhaps has the worst barbaric Hindu record but we will ignore it as it is another country. Let us bring reforms in our land first.
The SPCA, despite efforts, has hardly made any dent in preventing animal sacrifices. Perhaps Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare will have to give attention to this area after they finish their main anti-corruption agenda!
----------------
Photos of animal sacrifices from the Net:
Actually I was thinking of the title: "Wanted: A reformer for barbaric hindus who witness and practise animal sacrifice". I have just toned it down but that does not make the concerned Hindu brutes less barbaric. The navratri has just got over and I happened to see some horrible photos of animal sacrifices in Bengal. How thousands of "civilised Hindus" gleefully watch the barbaric decapitation of animals, passes my comprehension. Despite a glorious civilization and a glorious heritage, some of our Hindu practices are shameful and should have been abandoned long back.
I am not against the prescribed Hindu rituals, Vedic and Pauranic, that cause harm to nobody. Many modern-minded Hindus eschew rituals as an irrational and thoughtless practice. Nehru's atma will be happy with them. Although personally I am not a ritual-practioner, I am of the view that rituals, if properly understood, would generally seem to have merits. But animal sacrifice in temples is something that should be totally forbidden by a common Hindu reform and understanding, if necessary even by a Statute. We need not presently grapple with the Bakrid practices in Islam.
The pro-sacrifice hindus, educated as they may be, would point out that almost all religions in the world have had animal sacrifices. They will reason out that Durga will be displeased if animals are not sacrificed as per the ancient and living traditions. It must be pointed out that when Swami Vivekananda introduced the Durga Puja in Belur Math in 1901, he was in favour of "bali" (animal sacrifice) but Holy Mother (Sarada Devi) said "no" to it. Therefore, symbolically they sacrifice in that Math things such as bananas, white pumpkins and sugarcane, in lieu of animals. Why can't that practice, prevalent in Belur Math, be adopted in all places where Durga Puja is done?
It is said that the last 24 minutes of the Ashtami and the first 24 minutes of the Navami constitute the most sacred time for the animal sacrifice for Durga, the slayer of the demons Chanda and Munda. The Navami day by itself also witnesses widespread animal sacrifices. The mute victims are usually buffaloes and goats.
The Shakta cult (to the glory of Shakti) is most prevalent in Bengal, Kerala and Kashmir, that make a triangle. Assam too is as bad/good as Bengal in this respect. How do the Bengali and Assamese Hindus behave so barbarously passes my comprehension. Killing of animals for consumption, at abattoirs, is a different matter and should not be brought in to justify cruelly done animal killings for Gods. I hate the animal killings for consumption too but presently I confine myself to the gory sacrificial killings witnessed by thousands only to please the Gods. Of course animal sacrifice exists in other States too but the vigour and extent of killing witnessed during Durga Puja is never surpassed. Nepal perhaps has the worst barbaric Hindu record but we will ignore it as it is another country. Let us bring reforms in our land first.
The SPCA, despite efforts, has hardly made any dent in preventing animal sacrifices. Perhaps Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare will have to give attention to this area after they finish their main anti-corruption agenda!
----------------
Photos of animal sacrifices from the Net:
No comments:
Post a Comment