On Tuesday, the first day of the festival, a whopping 20,000 buffaloes were slaughtered. By the end of the second day, about 300,000 animals, which included buffaloes, chickens, goats, sheep, pigeons, rats and rabbits were sacrificed. Though the sacrificial slaughtering is carried out only until the second day, the festival continues for about two weeks. Gadhimai festival, which takes place in Bariyarpur in Bara district, is believed to be the world’s biggest animal sacrifice fair.
Now that the damage has already been done, our attention should be on preventing the spillover effects, which can go on to become equally devastating. The top-most priority should be on ensuring that the place of carnage does not turn into a breeding ground of diseases. In the recent past, we have already seen what can happen when even simple diseases like cholera and diarrhea are left unattended. There is also worrying news coming from some quarters saying that the slaughtered buffaloes would be transported to the major cities and towns for consumption. Needless to say, it must be ensured that the meat is thoroughly examined and deemed fit for human consumption before it reaches the local meat shops. We cannot run the risk of a health catastrophe, especially at a time when we are already overburdened with much more pressing problems.
It is also equally important to right away start campaigns and programs to stop this senselessness from occurring again in another five years. For this, it is essential to identify those people who benefit from the festival, such as the local priests, and provide them with healthy alternatives. Animal rights activists both in Nepal and India (according to reports, 60 percent of the participants in the fair are people from neighboring India) should also immediately start visiting the local areas and talking to the people on why such practices should be stopped. Change happens over a period of time. It does not take place overnight.
As this festival was under intense national and international media scrutiny, Nepal has already earned itself a bad name. We must work beginning today to redeem our image. This is only possible if we are able to put a full stop to the barbaric practice when the festival takes place again in 2014.
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