Orissa: Wildlife activists stopped animal sacrifice

Kendrapada, June 16: The age old practice of animal sacrifice in Ram chandi shakti cult in Srirampur village was provented today due to timely intervention of wildlife activists and the district administration.

Hundreds of animals were sacrificed before the shakti cult every year on the Raja Sankrati day. But this year the wildlife activists made it a point to end the traditional practice and succeeded.

Although Orissa High court had imposed a ban on such rituals, the practice was still prevalent in some Shakti cults in the district due to strong faith by the god-fearing people.

Sacrificing goats was a tradition in Ramachandi pitha on Raja Sakranti day with devotees from all parts of the district making a beeline to appease the deity. The district administration, remained a mute spectator in the face of strong protest from the people.

But this year wildlife activist Kishore Sahu and animal welfare officer Bijay Kabi urged the Tehsildar of Pattamundai and the police station to stop the game of cruelty in the name of sacrifies.

Wildlife activists led by Bijay Kabi visited Srirampur village last week to create awareness among the people against the practice of animal sacrifice to propitiate the goddess Ramachandi.

As a result the Raja Sankranti was observed today in the shrine without any sacrifice before the deity. The district administration had also deployed police force to put an end to the animal sacrifice before the shrine.

UNI