Every year, around 1.5 crore animals are reportedly sacrificed during religious festivals and fairs in Karnataka alone, said Dayanand Swami, chairman of the Vishwa Prani Kalyana Mandal. “If the government cannot implement its own laws and prevent the uncivilised practice and social evil, it should at least ban all the religious fairs,” he added.
The seer has has been actively campaigning against animal sacrifice in religious fairs and shrines and in favour of upholding the conjugal rights of animals to live and promoting vegetarianism since more than 25 years.
He said that a village, Kakkeri of Hukkeri taluk, has earned the notoriety of ‘Khatukara-keri’ (butchers’ colony).
He said as preparations were on for the annual fair at the Shree Bhishta Devi temple in Kakkeri for Navaratri celebrations and the district administration must take steps to enforce the Karnataka Prevention of Animal Sacrifice Act, 1959.
He said that he had met and requested the IGP north and Superintendent of Police to uphold the Act and the recent directions of the High Court on prevention of animal sacrifice.
He said it was ironical that people killed animals as an offering to Shree Bhishta Devi, who is the wife of Dohar Kakkaya, a follower of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara who preached non-violence and peace.
He clarified that he was not against any religion or humans consuming meat in their meals. But, sacrificing animals amounted to superstition and denial of animal’s right to live.
The Act should he implemented at least in 36,000 places of worship controlled by the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997.
