All For The Sake of Gadhimai - Sophia Davison

   For centuries, the ritual of religious sacrifice has been prevalent in certain societies. Humans themselves were once subject to sacrifice, and still exists in some countries today, yet animal sacrifice to appease the 'gods' has continued full-force in many parts of the world. In Kathmandu, Nepal, the religious ritual of animal slaughter is ever-present, as people go to temples or sacrifice in their own homes to thank the Hindu goddess Gadhimai, goddess of power, for good fortune or favorable happenings throughout their lives and recently. The long-upheld traditions and customs of these people is continued through annual or every-five-year festivals that embody mass slaughter of cows, chickens, or goats. Though these traditions are important towards holding up the religion and 
culture of these people, the sacrifices have created a huge controversy recently between their own government and the Indian government, as well as animal activists. As CNN says on the issue: "'Officials estimate that up to 10,000 buffalo calves and 150,000 goats will be offered [...] But these numbers will be much lower than those of 2009, the last time the five-yearly Gadhimai festival took place, thanks to advocacy efforts by animal rights activists. In that year nearly 20,000 buffalo calves were killed, according to temple officials and more than 200,000 goats were slaughtered. 'We object to the cruelty with which animals are treated," says Pramada Shah of Animal Welfare Network Nepal. "There is random hacking of animals in open space. Not all animals have their heads chopped off. Some take up to 40 minutes to die.'" 
   Activists in Nepal have resorted to the courts for their case, yet the cultural and religious importance of the ritual to the people of Nepal was held high above these activists' requests.
   "Courts in India also directed the Indian government not to control the unnecessary export of animals to Nepal. The Indian authorities, for their part, had directed security agencies and state governments to check the flow of livestock to the neighboring country. In a letter to the Uttar Pradesh government seen by CNN, India's Home Ministry estimated in September as many as 90,000 buffaloes would be "illegally" transported to Nepal for the festival." Though this illegal transport and the issues following it are recognized, the animals intended for sacrifice are still flowing into Nepal. The borders are not easily maintained, boundaries for illegal transportation "cannot be controlled and corruption is endemic," says Shah.
   The seriousness of the matter lies not only in the reluctance to change any existing patterns of mass slaughter, but also in the consequences of people such as these activists who are trying to become involved in the matter, changing the ways of people who's customs have existed for centuries. Nepalese authorities are also reluctant to stop the ritual sacrifice. "We cannot do this," explains chief district officer Dulal. "We cannot speak against it. This is something to do with culture." Kushwaha adds: "If we tell the people to stop the sacrifices, they will come to kill us. This is something related to people's religion and faith." 
  I can easily admire the cultural and religious traditions of different faiths and peoples all around the world, and easily respect their beliefs, yet the issue of slaughtering animals ( and in such large, senseless quantities ) raises a new aspect of doubt and questioning in my mind. I can only hope that the most suitable and agreeable outcome raises out of this issue, with a culture that remains in most of it's traditional ways, even with this changing world, and some happy animal-rights activists, although this gently balance of two happy parties has not been something easily achieved in the past.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/29/world/asia/nepal-gadhimai-ritual-slaughter/?cid=ob_articlesidebarall&iref=obnetwork