Maneka Gandhi, other activists urge Bihar to check animal sacrifice, illegal transportation to Nepal

Patna: Former Union minister Maneka Gandhi and other animal rights activists have urged the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar to issue immediate directions to check the "regressive practice of animal sacrifice" in various parts of the state.

They also requested the Bihar government to stop the illegal transportation of cattle from the state to Nepal for sacrifice in the upcoming Gadhimai festival in the neighbouring country.

Maneka Gandhi wrote a letter to the Bihar chief minister on Friday seeking his immediate intervention "to stop animal sacrifice in the state and also illegal transportation of cows, buffaloes, goats, pigeons from Bihar to Nepal, primarily intended for sacrifice, especially around the Gadhimai festival".

It has been recently reported that around Rs 10 million (1 crore) worth of Indian buffaloes alone are smuggled monthly and sold in Nepal's markets, she wrote in her letter.

A delegation of top representatives of other animal protection organisations -- Acharya Prashant (founder of Prashant Advait Foundation), Alokparna Sengupta (managing director, Humane Society International/India) and Gauri Maulekhi (trustee and member secretary, People for Animals Public Policy Foundation) -- met Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena on Saturday, and urged him to immediately issue directions to officials concerned in the state for checking animal sacrifice and illegal transportation of animals.

Later, addressing a joint press conference here, Acharya Prashant, said, "We requested the CS to issue directions to the officials concerned to stop the barbaric and regressive practice of animal sacrifice at various places in Bihar and illegal transportation of cattle from Bihar to Nepal for the purpose of sacrifice which is not only a contravention of the orders of the Supreme Court in writ petition (civil) no. 881/2014 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and allied rules but also goes against the essence and principle of 'Ahimsa'." "In addition to sacrifice of animals within the state, millions of animals, majorly cows, buffaloes, goats and pigeons are illegally transported from Bihar to Nepal for sacrifice especially around the Gadhimai festival. The India-Nepal border regions in Bihar, especially districts such as East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul and West Champaran, witness heightened activity around Gadhimai festival and other smaller festivals in Nepal," he said.

Such public sacrifice of animals is horrifying and repulsive for a large majority of Indians, having been guided by our pious, cultural, religious and historical Indian values and heritage, he said.

Alokparna Sengupta told reporters, "Large-scale public sacrifices of animals are conducted annually during various religious festivals in Bihar as well. One particularly heinous instance occurred during Dussehra in 2022 in Banka district, where over two lakh goats were reportedly sacrificed. Such occurrences, often under-reported, violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001." "Public slaughter of animals is contrary to the moral, cultural, and religious ethos upheld by a significant segment of the Indian population, which emphasises compassion and non-violence towards animals. This disturbs societal harmony and disrupts public order," she added.

Further, Gauri Maulekhi, said, "It is submitted that the recommended actions are essential not only to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court but also to uphold the fundamental principles enshrined in the Constitution of India. Article 48 of the Directive Principles of State Policy explicitly mandates the state to take steps to prevent cruelty to animals, while Article 51A (g) imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment, including animals."