News
Kovil defiant on animal sacrifice
The Kali-Kovil in Munneswaram is to go ahead with a pooja to sacrifice animals despite fresh protests.
Animal rights activists say that during the sacrifice at the Sri Bhadrakali Amman Kovil, hundreds of goats and thousands of fowl are to be slaughtered in a cruel manner.
A protest has been organised by the Multi-Religious Alliance for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals today in front of the kovil. Last year, animal rights groups sent a petition signed by more than 600,000 people, appealing to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to ban ritualistic animal sacrifice.
A sacrificial goat-in-waiting at the kovil
But the poosaris at the kovil say they are going ahead with the rituals that have taken place for generations.
Meanwhile Minister Mervyn Silva said he would conduct a Sathyakriya at the kovil next Saturday to protest against the ritual. Last year, the minister intervened and removed the animals that were to be sacrificed.
Responding to Minister Silva’s statement, a kovil trustee said the animal sacrifice to the deity Kali Amman would be carried out on Saturday as planned.
Poosari Kaalimuththu Sivashakya Sundaram said Minister Silva had no right to disturb the rituals of the Hindu kovil.
“A number of people sought court orders to stop this tradition but these requests were rejected. This year we will conduct the pooja and we hope the police would extend their support. Mervyn Silva is only a politician and not a servant of the god,” he said.
The poosari said that as priests it was their duty to conduct such poojas and that they did not wish to get involved in politics. “We request the minister to keep away and not to stop religious observances.”
The priest said that several years ago, Minister Silva participated in a sacrificial pooja but last year he took away the animals by force. He had not returned the animals and they were unaware of what he had done with the animals.
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