Social Media Says, Nepal Earthquake is Nature’s Retribution for Animal Slaughter
Social media is slowly sprouting the argument that Nepal deserved this catastrophe; that this was the Universe’s way of punishing the country for the barbarism that is the Gadhimai festival.
The Gadhimai festival is a sacrificial Hindu ritual held every five years in Nepal. Several (sometimes hundred) thousand animals are slaughtered in the name of religion. The last Gadhimai festival was held just last year, in 2014, with rising awareness and activism against it.
To the People Making the Above Argument
When you say that the Gadhimai fesival is primitive and barbaric, I absolutely agree. When you say that the people need to be educated against it, religion must evolve, again, I agree. But when you argue that India must not lend a helping hand on humanitarian accounts to Nepal, when you start petitioning the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the transfer of aid, I am appalled.
You really have to be in the dark ages to imagine a wrathful God wreaking vengeance. Earthquakes are natural disasters - not the dance of angry gods.
If we turn a blind eye, or worse yet, if we attempt to ‘punish’ Nepal by withdrawing help, are we not being primitive and barbaric? Are we not being just as cruel and inhumane?
I am just as hurt and disturbed as you as I read about barely alive animals, being hacked by inexperienced butchers armed with blunt knives. I am just as ashamed that this is a reality of the 21st century where people ought to know better. But this does not mean that even a part of me stands against any sort of help I can provide to Nepal.
Nepal is hurting and instead of justifying their pain, we must come together and help. Humanity begets humanity. It is through humanity that we can aim to open the citizen’s eyes against the ruthless hacking of the innocent voiceless. Not the other way around.
If nothing else, look at it this way: if Nepal continues to ache with no relief, no one to lend the kingdom a hand to stand again on its own two feet, the people will lose faith in all that is human and strengthen their faith in mindless ritualistic behaviour which would cause more innocents to die.
(P.S) The death toll in Nepal has exceeded 6000 . It’s heartbreaking, but we must also remember countless animals who have been hurt in this catastrophe that hit this small Himalayan nation.
Log in here to the animals affected by the Nepal earthquake .https://www.thedodo.com/nepal-earthquake-help-animals-1113682241.html
( Tara Bahl is a student of International Political Economy at King’s College in London)
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