Cuttack: The Orissa High Court directed Thursday, Kalahandi SP Battula Gangadhar to ban animal sacrifice during the famous ‘Chhatar Jatra’ of Maa Manikeswari at Bhawanipatna in the district.
After hearing a PIL filed by social activist Jayanti Das seeking a ban on animal slaughter during Dussehra at the shrine, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanju Panda and Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo directed the Kalahandi SP to take necessary steps to prevent killing of animals.
The HC bench also observed that an awareness campaign will have to be launched in the district to prevent the unnecessary killing of animals. The bench in its directive has said that ideally the campaign should start a month before ‘Chhatar Jatra’. It has instructed that in the programme, students of educational institutions should also play a vital role.
Notably, Das had moved the High Court in 2016 opposing animal sacrifice during ‘Chhatar Jatra’. She had also written a letter to the Prime Minister challenging complaining about the inability of the Odisha government to prevent animal sacrifice.
It should also be stated here that the Kalahandi district administration had imposed a ban on animal slaughter during ‘Chhatar Jatra’ last year. However, even then animal sacrifice had taken place within the temple premises at night. As a large number of devotees were present, police remained a mute spectator, unable to do anything.
PNN