Hyderabad: Animal rights organization, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to amend the law allowing the sacrifice of animals. The letter, which seeks PM Modi’s intervention in the matter of animal sacrifice during festivals, comes ahead of Eid al-Adha.
The animal rights group requested PM Modi to remove section 28 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act,1960, which allows any animal to be killed in any manner required by any religion.
According to news reports, the central government is currently in the process of amending the Act.
Earlier, Peta India had submitted its recommendations to the Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI), which included recommending a ban on animal sacrifice in April.
Peta India chief executive officer Dr Manilal Valliyate was quoted by India Today as saying, “Even though the PCA Act gives an exemption for animal sacrifice, such practices often stand in contradiction to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which protects indigenous wild species from hunting and capture.”
The animal rights group also demanded that in the age of science and technology, animal sacrifice should be treated as punishable cruelty.
According to India Today, ahead of Eid Al-Adha, the animal rights group also sent letters to police chiefs of all state governments and union territories, urging them to take precautionary measures to stop illegal practices in transport and the killing of animals.
Reaction from clergy
Speaking to Siasat.com, Mufti Yusuf Asad, a famous cleric from Mumbai, said that he condemns this proposal and that he is surprised that “so-called animal rights groups” don’t know basic things about farm animals like goats or sheep. He said that if this livestock isn’t eaten, they will overpopulate and cause problems for everyone and end up dying of hunger and diseases.
He added that sheep and goats naturally have the capability to reproduce more than most mammals and multiply themselves by manifolds. “Where will you keep all the cattle then,” he asked.
“It is our belief, and common sense also tells us that these types of animals were created to be eaten and utilized by humans and it is against basic freedom to deny mutton to people,” Mufti Yusuf Asad remarked.
Furthermore, he said that he agrees that animals shouldn’t be tortured or treated with cruelty. “Which is why we treat a goat, as a celebrated guest before sacrificing it as humbly as possible to Allah on Eid ul-Adha.”
He added that he knows that the government won’t accept such an “immature” and “foolish” proposal.