Cattle are killed in an inhumane way in Sri Lanka

 

If you see how these innocent animals are slaughtered the suffering that they undergo, you will never eat meat. Unfortunately, I saw this horrible sight. Some butchers, do not spare even pregnant cows. In many of the foreign countries cattle are killed in a humane way. They tranquillise the animal so that the poor animal will not feel the pain of death. Some methods they adopt are (a) To use captive bolt pistol. (b) Stunning electrically.

If Sri Lankans cannot abstain from beef eating, it is proper, they use some kind of drug or injection, so that the poor animal will not suffer the pain of death. It would be far better, if we can totally give up eating beef, which will bring much relief to an animal that has befriended man throughout life.

In Sri Lanka, cattle are transported in lorries and trains to slaughter houses. Most of these innocent animals come from the Dry Zone. They are not fed for days before they face the "Guillotine". Like our Public Transport system, the cattle are transported jam-packed. In transit, the weak fall down, some are trampled to death. In the slaughter house, the year of death, surrounds them. They keep their heads down. They hear the screams, long piercing cry of fear of the cattle that are mercilessly slaughtered ahead of them.

They pass loose motions and urinate, when they are taken to the slaughter house. It is a concrete floor. Iron rings are embedded into it. The animal is pulled towards the ring. His head, virtually touches the floor. Verbally, they cannot express their feelings or sentiments. Tears flow, blood and mucus is spread all over.

They tie the four feet of the animal with a lasso. When they try to pull the animal down, the animal loses his balance. He falls on the concrete floor. It groans for life, fear of death and the tongue protrudes out. The men who handle the gruesome act, tighten the animal's legs into one bundle. Helpless, the poor animal, lying on the ground, the neck turned up and with a sharp knife, the "Air Passage is severed. Added to all these, the butchers enjoy themselves in performing this cruel act.

 
Sri Lanka is known as the "Dharmadivpa". We must all get together and put a stop to this inhuman slaughtering of cattle in Sri Lanka. It is heartening to note that the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (1994-2005) had instructed to stop the slaughter of cattle during the Vesak Week. That was undoubtedly, quite a salutary gesture. In the wake of the President's decree, I earnestly hope that parliamentarians will agitate to bring legislation to stop this inhuman slaughter of cattle in Sri Lanka.