ACHC President condemns animal sacrifice

by Thulasi MUTTULINGAM

All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) President, V. Kailasapillai has vehemently condemned animal sacrifices at Hindu temples. Referring to the recent protests against animal sacrifices at the Bathrakali Amman temple in Chilaw, he said his organisation was very much opposed to the concept of animal sacrifices and had tried to stop this sacrifice to the best of their ability.

"We sided with the Buddhist clergy on this issue and asked the IGP to stop the sacrifice. I am very disappointed to note that nothing came of it," he said.

A large number of goats and chicken were slaughtered in a sacrificial ritual at the Bathrakali Amman temple in Muneshwaram, Chilaw last Wednesday to mark the end of the temple's annual month-long festival.

The temple is one of a few Hindu kovils in Sri Lanka which practise animal sacrifice, but according to Director of the Department of Hindu Religious and Cultural Affairs Shanthi Navukkarasan. It is the only kovil where the practice takes place on such a large scale."We strongly oppose these sacrifices in the name of Hinduism. We have had several rounds of talks with the temple authorities to negotiate the cessation of the sacrifice, but they insist that it is an age old custom that they have to carry out. Our hands are tied at the moment, as there is no specific law that prohibits animal sacrifices," she said.

Meanwhile, animal rights activists and Buddhist clergy who protested the sacrifice at the site have still not done away with their protests.

"We still haven't given up, we aim to stop the sacrifice at least next year," said Secretary of the Sri Lanka Animal Protection Association, Sharmini Ratnayake.