Hindus in mourning for Shambo

[TheGuru]

The story

Members of a Hindu community are mourning the loss of temple bullock Shambo.

A row about the future of the six-year-old Fresian, who tested positive for bovine tuberculosis three months ago, reached a climax yesterday when officials entered the Skanda Vale community in Llanpumsaint, west Wales.

A spokesman for the Welsh Assembly Government confirmed that Shambo was put down by lethal injection last night.

The Welsh Assembly Government had ordered the slaughter of Shambo to protect public and animal health, but monks in the small settlement in Llanpumsaint, who believe bullocks are sacred, started a legal battle.

They finally lost the chance to save Shambo, whose plight has attracted publicity across the world, at the Court of Appeal on Monday.

The decision did not stop worshippers gathering at the Carmarthenshire temple to pray and chant from the early hours of the morning until the moment Shambo was taken away in the evening.

Some of the bullock's supporters had to be physically removed by police before they could access his pen.

When the bullock was taken away in a trailer, many called out farewells, with others weeping as he left the grounds.

Ramesh Kallidai, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said the group wanted reassurances about temple animals in the light of Shambo's plight.

He said: "We will now seek a meeting with the Secretary of State for the Environment to check how agricultural law can cater to the needs of sacred animals in Hindu temples in Britain."

My Question

Was it the right thing to?

[smartsez]

If it was possible for the bull to pass TB on to other animals or humans then yes it was definately the right thing to do. I Have no idea whether there was a serious risk of that tho.

[TheGuru]

Originally Posted by smartsez

If it was possible for the bull to pass TB on to other animals or humans then yes it was definately the right thing to do. I Have no idea whether there was a serious risk of that tho.

Its a hard decision isnt it

[Mike]

So law over rules religion?

Mike...

[InLove]

It's a hard decision to make. I know if I was ill I would not want to be "put down" even if I could pass it on. Would you? Is it different for animals sacred or otherwise???

It seems Law does over rule religion in this country.

[Nutty_ZA]

I have to agree with the authorities here... If the bull had TB, it is highly contagious and it would have died sooner rather than later anyway... after having infected a few ppl, who would have infected a few more, until exponentially you have a major TB outbreak...
TB is still a major Killer in 3rd world countries(incl South Africa), esp the new strain which is impervious to drugs...
It's like saying that you shouldn't put birds down if they've contracted bird Flu, just because some religious group worship chickens or geese... the health authorities have to give Human life higher priority than a single animals, even if that animal is a religious icon

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Nutty_ZA

I have to agree with the authorities here... If the bull had TB, it is highly contagious and it would have died sooner rather than later anyway... after having infected a few ppl, who would have infected a few more, until exponentially you have a major TB outbreak...
TB is still a major Killer in 3rd world countries(incl South Africa), esp the new strain which is impervious to drugs...
It's like saying that you shouldn't put birds down if they've contracted bird Flu, just because some religious group worship chickens or geese... the health authorities have to give Human life higher priority than a single animals, even if that animal is a religious icon

I still see it as a moral dilema from both points of view.

Mike...

[smartsez]

If it is that contagious, then I agree it should have been put down, without a doubt. If not, and people ended up being infected, then effectively people would die for the sake of that religion. Knowing its putting peoples lives at risk & not doing anything about it, is that any better than someone strapping a bomb round his waist for the sake of Allah? Its sentencing people to death, whichever way you look at it.

[TheGuru]

Originally Posted by smartsez

then effectively people would die for the sake of that religion.

Isnt that whats happened for the past few thousand years?

[smartsez]

For their own, yes-but I wouldnt want to die because people of another religion won the right to keep Shambo alive. I dont think many other people would be so forgiving either. Its easy to say it was a cruel thing to do & that as part of their religion they should have had the right to carry on regardless of the TB, but if people were actually to get infected because of that decision, then it wouldnt seem so cruel would it?