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| Sunday, 1 February 2004 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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The silent scream If one witnesses the inhuman manner in which cattle are slaughtered in Sri lanka, it is quite likely that one would give up eating meat. If Sri Lankans cannot abstain from eating meat, they should follow the example of some other countries that adopt humane methods of slaughter, such as injecting the animals with a drug, or stunning them electrically. by Premasara Epasinghe
According to some statistics, about 1000 cattle are slaughtered daily, inhumanly in Sri Lanka. This will tally up to 30,000 per month and 3,600,000 per year approximately. We as Buddhists, who are a majority in Sri Lanka, utter the Five Precepts daily, but, should we ask ourselves, whether we truly observe the First Precept, which is to abstain from killing. It is very unfortunate, in the Dharmaddivpa - Sri Lanka that cattle are slaughtered and butchered in a very inhuman manner. They are brutally tortured, before they die. It is a horrendous and gruesome sight to watch. If one witnesses the slaughtering of cattle in Sri Lanka, one will never ever eat meat. This is a sight, you will never ever want to witness. Unfortunately I saw it myself and I thought of penning these few lines about these innocent ones, and their suffering. What crime have these innocent animals done to be butchered in such a gruesome manner? Some butchers even do not spare a pregnant cow. They too are brutally slaughtered. In many foreign countries, cattle are slaughtered in a humane manner. some methods they adopt are (a) use a captive pistol, (b) stunning electrically. If people of Sri Lanka cannot abstain from eating beef, it is only proper, they use some kind of a drug or injection, so that the poor animal will not suffer pain and agony while dying. It would be far better, if we could totally give up eating beef, which will bring much relief to an animal that has befriended us throughout life. In Sri Lanka cattle are transported in lorries and trains to slaughter houses. Most of these innocent animals come from the dry zone. For days and days they are not fed before they face the guillotine. Like our public transport system, the cattle are transported jam packed. In transit, the weak fall down and are trampled to death. After the cattle are transported to their destination - the slaughter house, they are kept in a yard for a couple of days, without food and water. Then, like condemned prisoners they are dragged away for final performance. Fear of death These innocent animals sense their fate. They keep their heads down, as the fear of death surrounds them. They hear the screams, long piercing cry of fear of the cattle that are mercilessly slaughtered, ahead of them. They pass loose-motions and urinate, when they are dragged to the slaughtering house. It is a concrete floor. Iron rings are embedded into it. The animal dragged and most times, tortured and driven to the ring. His head virtually touches the floor. Verbally, they cannot express their feelings or sentiments. Tears flow. Blood and mucus is spread all over the place, as slaughter of one or two animals has already taken place. They tie the four feet of the animal with a lasso, pull the animal up and down. Then, the animal loses the balance and falls on the concrete floor. He or She groans for his life in fear of death and tongue protrudes out. The men who handle the gruesome act, tighten the animal's legs into one bundle. Helpless, the poor animal lying on the ground the neck is turned up and with a sharp knife the 'air passage' is severed. Redish orangish blood gushes out. The poor creatures tongue comes out in its full length. This is one of the most horrible sights that I have ever witnessed in my life. The body goes into spasms. It wriggles on the floor. In most cases, in about three or four minutes the animal passes away. In some instances, the butchers skin the animal, even before his or her last breadth. Can you believe that men can be so cruel and inhuman? The other cows and bulls awaiting their turn, see this horrendous scene. The mother watching the son or vice-versa. What a terrible sight.
This a Buddhist country, where all other religions are tolerated in high esteem. No religion will teach you to be so inhuman even to an animal. Compassion is what all religions have taught us. The bottom-line is final send off to an animal, which is so close to us. When a child is born the mother breast-feeds him or her. When he grows up, the child is fed by cow milk, is this the gratitude you pay to a mother? The Indians venerate the cow as a symbol of religion. One of the reasons for the famous ' Indian Mutiny', rebellion against lawful authority, especially during the British regime is said to have been the use of 'ghee' obtained from the mother cow to clean the weapons of the British army. The Indians opposed it. They revolted against the Britishers, as they consider 'mother cow' as a venerated animal. Unhealthy According to medical sources, 'red meat', has a bad effect on cholesterol-a fatty substance found in animal fluids and tissues, thought to cause hardening of the arteries and other 'killing' diseases. Some of the cattle that are slaughtered in Sri Lanka feed on garbage dumps. These might contain toxic materials such as heavy metal residues. (mercury, lead etc). These toxic materials are accumulated in their tissues and organs, (liver, kidney and heart). Consumption of such beef is likely to cause health problems. Even the grass and other vegetation our cattle eat, are not upto the hygienic levels that most of the other developed countries maintain. For example in some countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Denmark etc the cattle would be destroyed, if it is found that they were accidently fed on grass grown on landfills, as such grass might contain toxic material. Even third world countries like Botswana or Kenya maintain such standards. If you consume beef, it is best to discuss it with your family doctor. It is a known fact that the first thing that some people do when they suspect that their cow or bull is bitten by a rabid dog is that they sell it to a butcher. It is quite possible without anybody's notice, that this animal may be infected with rabies. Such instances are just special cases. The cattle might have numerous other diseases like Anthrex, Tuberculosis, infections wasting disease in which growths, appear on body tissues especially the lungs etc. The screening processes are done quickly in Sri Lanka and not thoroughly or scientifically and sometimes on paper only. Although you eat beef, you never know what diseases these cattle that are brutally slaughtered may have. Hence, it is beneficial to our own health, if we refrain from eating meat. Vegetarian The elephant which is the largest and the strongest animal on land, does not consume any meat or beef. He is a vegetarian. If for a moment, you think that for your vigour, strength and stamina you must consume beef, it is a myth. The people who eat more green leaves, vegetables, fruits, have fewer medical problems and they are healthy. Waiting for the common man to take voluntary measures in eradicating this inhuman manner of cattle slaughter, seems to be useless. The government and the relevant ministries, which have a bearing on this, should take the lead. For example, Ministries of Buddha Sasana, Hindu Affairs, Health, Nutrition and Welfare, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, together should bring legislation to prohibit the inhuman practice of slaughtering cattle in Sri Lanka. Further, I would suggest the Minister of Education commence an islandwide programme for the young school children, on the value of compassion towards human beings and animals, at the very outset of their sensing the children, the value of Ahimsa. Sri Lanka is known as 'Dharmaddivpa'. We must all get together and put a stop to this inhuman slaughtering of cattle in our land. I earnestly hope, someday in the near future, we may truly be able to say with meaning 'May all beings be happy and content.' |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
In the Indo-Aryan culture, and civilisation, cattle occupy a very
significant place. The cow is like a mother. The bull provides, bread and
butter to all of us. The mother cow, transforms her blood to milk. We
consume her milk daily. Cattle are so close to our day-to-day life. They
serve us in numerous ways. Do we give them, anything in return?
Does this drama remind us of Ehelepola? The mother being forced to use
the pestle (heavy rounded tool used for crushing and grinding things to
powder) in a special bowl (mortar) on her baby son. There is something
else, more strange and unbelievable. It appears that those who carry out
this cold-blooded slaughter enjoy their exercise. Mostly they wear running
shorts, bare-bodied or wear blood stained banians. These men sing,
whistle, while agonising harassing and butchering the innocent and
harmless animals.
