KATHMANDU, Dec 1: Animal rights advocates, including former Indian MP and founder of People for Animals, Maneka Gandhi, along with Humane Society International/India, have called on Nepal’s Vice President, Ram Sahaya Yadav, to refrain from attending the Gadhimai festival and inaugurating the mass animal slaughter event set to begin on December 2.
In a letter to Vice President Yadav, Gandhi urged him to respect Nepal's 2019 Supreme Court ruling that deemed animal sacrifice inappropriate and called for an end to the ritual. Despite the ruling, the Gadhimai festival continues to carry out mass animal sacrifices, with an estimated 250,000 animals slaughtered during the 2019 event.
Campaigners from Humane Society International/India and People for Animals have deployed teams at checkpoints along the Indo-Nepal border to prevent the illegal transport of animals into Nepal for the festival. It may be noted that the Supreme Court of India in 2014 had directed the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and state governments to prevent the illegal transportation of animals to Nepal for the Gadhimai festival.
Activists step up drive against Gadhimai mass animal sacrifice
Held every five years in Bariyarpur, Nepal, Gadhimai is the world’s largest animal sacrifice event, with thousands of animals—including buffalo, goats, pigs, and chickens—being beheaded in a ritual to appease the Gadhimai goddess. A large number of the animals are illegally brought into Nepal from India, particularly from the state of Bihar.
In her letter, Maneka Gandhi stressed the ethical responsibility of leaders: “While I hold the deepest respect for cultural traditions of Nepal, we must simultaneously acknowledge the growing global consensus on animal sentience and the fundamental principles of compassion that define our shared civilisations. The systematic mass slaughter of animals during this festival stands in stark and painful contrast to our evolving understanding of life, suffering and moral responsibility…By participating in or associating yourself with the inaugural event of the Gadhimai festival, you would be seen as promoting activities that go against the directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of your country. Furthermore, your position as Vice Presidents transcends mere administrative responsibility. It is a propound moral stewardship that demands courage, vision and an unwavering commitment to ethical leadership.”
Alokparna Sengupta, Director of Humane Society International/India, echoed Gandhi’s concerns, urging Vice President Yadav to distance himself from the festival, citing not only the animal cruelty but also the exploitation of impoverished devotees. The temple organizers of Gadhimai charge significant fees for the sacrifice of animals, including Rs 8,000 for a buffalo and Rs 4,000 for a goat. The temple has also been criticized for profiting from the sale of meat and skins from the sacrificed animals, with the majority of the meat being sold to buyers, even though historically Dalits (marginalized communities) have been given the right to the meat. In 2019, only 10 percent of the carcasses were given to Dalits, with the rest sold for profit.
Sengupta said, “We urge vice president Yadav not to encourage the practice of animal sacrifice by being present at the Gadhimai festival but instead to boycott the festival and comply with the order of Nepal’s Hon'ble Supreme Court. Gadhimai is infamous for animal cruelty and human exploitation. It is disgraceful that the Gadhimai temple committee is exploiting the hopes, fears and frustrations of impoverished people for its own profit. The Government of Nepal must protect against the exploitation of hundreds of thousands of people and animals in the name of tradition. If the Gadhimai temple wants to increase its wealth and image, it must do so on the pillars of compassion and progress.”
