Protests to stop cattle slaughter in Sri Lanka is
nothing new. During the late 19th centaury, Anagarika Dharmapala took
the issue of cattle slaughter up for discussion along with his
temperance movement. Recently protests escalated when a Buddhist monk
set himself on fire near Dalada Maligawa demanding a ban on cattle
slaughter. However, the President has reportedly assured the Sinhala
Buddhist movement, Sihala Ravaya that steps would be taken to ban cattle
slaughter in the country within the next two months.
The Sihala Ravaya organized a protest march from Kataragama to Colombo demanding a ban on cattle slaughter and handed over a petition to the President recently. Head of the organization, Ven Akmeemana Dayarthana Thera has requested the President to ban cattle slaughter in the country and to import meat to supply for local demands. Speaking to The Nation, Dayarathana Thera said that they are protesting against this for the sake of culture rather than religion.
“Slaughtering animals anyway
goes against Buddhism, it is not limited to cattle. And some people ask
‘why only cattle?’ Unlike other animals, the cow is a sacred animal in
our society and culture. Not only Buddhists, we have a significant
population of Hindus in Sri Lanka, who also consider cattle sacred. We
start our day with a glass of cow’s milk. In fact it is only secondary
to mother’s milk. How unfair it is to kill it and eat its meat? It is
like eating our own mother when she gets old,” said Dayarathnana Thera.
Dayarathana Thera also pointed out that the manner of killing cows is ruthless. “There are some cultures where the ‘slaughtering’ is done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels. The poor animal won’t die at once, but it will bleed to death. How could someone with a heart tolerate such cruelty?” Dayarathna Thera questioned. “Thousands of rupees are spent daily to purchase milk from foreign countries. Without killing the cows, why can’t we make strategies to save these animals and increase our own production of milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter? If properly planned, the bull can be used for pulling carts, which can be used in tourism,” Dayarathana Thera added.
As Dayarathana Thera pointed out there is evidence to prove that beef was not a part of the Sri Lankan diet in history. According to historical evidence, it was during the Portuguese period when meat consumption was popularized in the country. According to Robert Knox’s book An Historical Relation Of The Island Ceylon, Sinhalese food culture, which was inline with Buddhist culture was based greatly on a vegetarian diet and it clearly mentions that beef consumption was considered detestable.
‘Beef here may not be eaten; it is abominable: Flesh and Fish is somewhat scarce. And that little of it they have, they had rather sell to get money to keep, than eat it themselves’‘If these people were not discouraged from rearing and nourishing of Cattle and Poultry, provisions might be far more plentiful.’
However scientific studies also show that consuming beef or any other type of meat is not essential for an average adult. Department of Health, Nutrition Division Director Dr. U M M Samaranayake said avoiding beef is healthier than consuming beef for its proteins. “The aim of consuming meat is to get its proteins and amino acids. For an adult, this need can be met by a balanced vegetarian diet without an issue. There are enough alternatives for beef,” he said.
Beef is high in saturated fat, which raises blood cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol increase risk of heart disease. Dr. Samaranayake also pointed out that pre-cholesterol found in beef could be dangerous for health. “Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. A certain amount of cholesterol is essential for normal body functions. So do cattle. When a person consumes beef he also consumes the cholesterol stored in the cattle. Therefore consuming beef will increase risk factors,” he explained. Deep fried beef is a popular treat among beef lovers, but it also increases the risk of prostate cancer. “Deep frying may trigger formation of carcinogens in food. Carcinogens are the possible mechanisms behind the increased cancer risk,” he added.
According to some statistics, about 5,000 cattle are legally slaughtered daily in Sri Lanka. This will tally up to 150,000 per month and 1,825,000 per year approximately. On a long-term basis, an immediate ban on cattle slaughter may lead to great economic and environmental repercussions. An upsurge of illegal cattle slaughter is to be expected if and when cattle slaughter is legally banned. Because it would be considered illegal and laws are expected to be upheld officials would be oblivious to the various corruptions and animal rights activists to the fate of poor ill-treated animals.
Commenting on the economic repercussions likely to arise, Livestock Planning and Economics Division, Agriculture Economist, Dr. Hemali Kothlawala said that the ban would eventually increase the production cost of dairy products.“When slaughtering cattle is banned the dairy farmer will be in trouble. He will have to take care of the old cows that can no longer help in the process. An increase in the male population of the herd will also be problematic. Ultimately when he has to take care of all these, the cost of production will increase,” she explained.
She also said finding grazing lands and grass for the saved cattle will also be an issue. “In Sri Lanka we do not have enough grazing lands for cattle as in New Zealand or India. Grass in the roadsides would not be enough to meet the needs. Moreover most of these limited land areas are now occupied by maze and soy cultivation. Therefore broader discussions should be held before banning cattle slaughter,” Dr. Kothalawala suggested.
Professor of Environmental Science, Sarath Kotagama speaking to The Nation opined that this is just a matter of numbers. “If it is seen as numbers, it looks huge. But it is the strategies we should be looking at. If there is a demand, stop the demand. If looked backwards and producing the unwanted number of cattle is stopped, this would not become an issue,” he stressed. In other words control cattle breeding.
According to him, if proper strategies are implemented to control breeding, banning cattle slaughter would not become an environmental issue. “We have to change the way we look at it. Cattle are not a part of our livelihood now unlike in India. If they are naturalized as a part of our livelihood, multiplying numbers is just a hypothetical issue. Real concern should be on making strategies and conducting detailed studies. This is what should be done and also what is not happening in this country, unfortunately,” pointed out Prof Kotagama.
In future, this law would be implemented across country and cattle slaughter will be banned. If the possible environmental and economic repercussions are dealt with at the initial stage and aforementioned strategies implemented, this initiative will be both beneficial and appreciative. But if this is also just a political strategy to increase the vote bank, there will always be a possibility of things taking a turn for the worse.
Published in The Nation on July 14,2013
Link :http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/19203-holy-cows-to-be-given-new-lease-of-life.html
The Sihala Ravaya organized a protest march from Kataragama to Colombo demanding a ban on cattle slaughter and handed over a petition to the President recently. Head of the organization, Ven Akmeemana Dayarthana Thera has requested the President to ban cattle slaughter in the country and to import meat to supply for local demands. Speaking to The Nation, Dayarathana Thera said that they are protesting against this for the sake of culture rather than religion.
“Slaughtering animals anyway
goes against Buddhism, it is not limited to cattle. And some people ask
‘why only cattle?’ Unlike other animals, the cow is a sacred animal in
our society and culture. Not only Buddhists, we have a significant
population of Hindus in Sri Lanka, who also consider cattle sacred. We
start our day with a glass of cow’s milk. In fact it is only secondary
to mother’s milk. How unfair it is to kill it and eat its meat? It is
like eating our own mother when she gets old,” said Dayarathnana Thera.Dayarathana Thera also pointed out that the manner of killing cows is ruthless. “There are some cultures where the ‘slaughtering’ is done by cutting the throat, windpipe and the blood vessels. The poor animal won’t die at once, but it will bleed to death. How could someone with a heart tolerate such cruelty?” Dayarathna Thera questioned. “Thousands of rupees are spent daily to purchase milk from foreign countries. Without killing the cows, why can’t we make strategies to save these animals and increase our own production of milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter? If properly planned, the bull can be used for pulling carts, which can be used in tourism,” Dayarathana Thera added.
As Dayarathana Thera pointed out there is evidence to prove that beef was not a part of the Sri Lankan diet in history. According to historical evidence, it was during the Portuguese period when meat consumption was popularized in the country. According to Robert Knox’s book An Historical Relation Of The Island Ceylon, Sinhalese food culture, which was inline with Buddhist culture was based greatly on a vegetarian diet and it clearly mentions that beef consumption was considered detestable.
‘Beef here may not be eaten; it is abominable: Flesh and Fish is somewhat scarce. And that little of it they have, they had rather sell to get money to keep, than eat it themselves’‘If these people were not discouraged from rearing and nourishing of Cattle and Poultry, provisions might be far more plentiful.’
However scientific studies also show that consuming beef or any other type of meat is not essential for an average adult. Department of Health, Nutrition Division Director Dr. U M M Samaranayake said avoiding beef is healthier than consuming beef for its proteins. “The aim of consuming meat is to get its proteins and amino acids. For an adult, this need can be met by a balanced vegetarian diet without an issue. There are enough alternatives for beef,” he said.
Beef is high in saturated fat, which raises blood cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol increase risk of heart disease. Dr. Samaranayake also pointed out that pre-cholesterol found in beef could be dangerous for health. “Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood. A certain amount of cholesterol is essential for normal body functions. So do cattle. When a person consumes beef he also consumes the cholesterol stored in the cattle. Therefore consuming beef will increase risk factors,” he explained. Deep fried beef is a popular treat among beef lovers, but it also increases the risk of prostate cancer. “Deep frying may trigger formation of carcinogens in food. Carcinogens are the possible mechanisms behind the increased cancer risk,” he added.
According to some statistics, about 5,000 cattle are legally slaughtered daily in Sri Lanka. This will tally up to 150,000 per month and 1,825,000 per year approximately. On a long-term basis, an immediate ban on cattle slaughter may lead to great economic and environmental repercussions. An upsurge of illegal cattle slaughter is to be expected if and when cattle slaughter is legally banned. Because it would be considered illegal and laws are expected to be upheld officials would be oblivious to the various corruptions and animal rights activists to the fate of poor ill-treated animals.
Commenting on the economic repercussions likely to arise, Livestock Planning and Economics Division, Agriculture Economist, Dr. Hemali Kothlawala said that the ban would eventually increase the production cost of dairy products.“When slaughtering cattle is banned the dairy farmer will be in trouble. He will have to take care of the old cows that can no longer help in the process. An increase in the male population of the herd will also be problematic. Ultimately when he has to take care of all these, the cost of production will increase,” she explained.
She also said finding grazing lands and grass for the saved cattle will also be an issue. “In Sri Lanka we do not have enough grazing lands for cattle as in New Zealand or India. Grass in the roadsides would not be enough to meet the needs. Moreover most of these limited land areas are now occupied by maze and soy cultivation. Therefore broader discussions should be held before banning cattle slaughter,” Dr. Kothalawala suggested.
Professor of Environmental Science, Sarath Kotagama speaking to The Nation opined that this is just a matter of numbers. “If it is seen as numbers, it looks huge. But it is the strategies we should be looking at. If there is a demand, stop the demand. If looked backwards and producing the unwanted number of cattle is stopped, this would not become an issue,” he stressed. In other words control cattle breeding.
According to him, if proper strategies are implemented to control breeding, banning cattle slaughter would not become an environmental issue. “We have to change the way we look at it. Cattle are not a part of our livelihood now unlike in India. If they are naturalized as a part of our livelihood, multiplying numbers is just a hypothetical issue. Real concern should be on making strategies and conducting detailed studies. This is what should be done and also what is not happening in this country, unfortunately,” pointed out Prof Kotagama.
In future, this law would be implemented across country and cattle slaughter will be banned. If the possible environmental and economic repercussions are dealt with at the initial stage and aforementioned strategies implemented, this initiative will be both beneficial and appreciative. But if this is also just a political strategy to increase the vote bank, there will always be a possibility of things taking a turn for the worse.
Published in The Nation on July 14,2013
Link :http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/19203-holy-cows-to-be-given-new-lease-of-life.html
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