Written by: Shruti Pokhrel - 21124, Grade XII
Posted on: 04 August, 2020
Animals are the real victims on this earth. They didn’t declare war, they don’t have weapons, and they don’t want to destroy humans, or impose religion. Their only “crime” is that they exist.
- Amina Tharwat Abaza
Animals feel pain, sorrow, and joy like we people but why are animals treated the way they are? As they cannot speak for themselves, it doesn’t mean they can’t feel. Their eyes speak up everything but we are so self-obsessed that we never try to look at them and understand what they’re feeling and going through. Talking about animal abuse and cruelty towards them, it is said that every 60 seconds, an animal gets abused. Animal abuse is pervasive and entrenched all over the world. Even though it is an inhumane act, we so-called human beings, don’t bother standing against it.
Just imagine if you were the animal being tested on, being kept in a cage given the little amount of food just enough to stay alive and being experimented. Does it feel right? Surely no. This is what animals in the testing center go through.
In the case of Nepal, there is no proper animal welfare legislation. Everywhere we go, we can find a large number of stray dogs roaming here and there. Pets that have become sick and shown some aggressive behaviors are easily discarded and later they are called ‘street dogs’. Moreover, cows, our national animals are regarded as holy but we can find many cattle abandoned in the busy streets of the city. There are thousands of horses, donkeys, and mules in the mountains and terai who are beaten, abused, overloaded, underfed, and made to work until death. It is all because of a lack of enforceable legislation and public awareness.
We all might have heard about Gadimai Mela in Bara district where pilgrims from India and Nepal assemble every five years to offer mass animal sacrifice in gratitude for their wishes being fulfilled. In 2019, the festival was held on November 28 and 29 where about 500,000 animals were brutally slaughtered in the name of a goddess. It was reported that the number of animals sacrificed in 2019 was less than in previous years. While many activists are against this practice and claim that it is not necessary to sacrifice animals rather they can offer fruits and sweets with full devotion to the goddess. It just can’t be understood how a genuine god or goddess can be appeased by inflicting pain and suffering in other living beings. This land is regarded as sacred and the birthplace of Gautam Buddha. Gautam Buddha, who regarded peace and non-violence as the cardinal virtues and taught the world the power of kindness, generosity, and non-violence. We take great pride in Gautam Buddha being born in Nepal but never bother to understand Buddhist principles and its teachings regarding cruelty and violence.
None of us is unaware of the fact that animals do possess animal rights and there are certain things that human beings should not do to animals but as usual, although being educated we like to remain ignorant. Let us not go up to rights also, what about morality? Abusing someone and causing pain is inherently wrong and unethical. There is one saying by a famous cat veterinarian Louis J. Camuti, ‘Never believe that animals suffer less than humans. Pain is the same for them that it is for us. Even worse, because they cannot help themselves.’
As we share common land, human beings and animals should be sharing a cordial relationship. Once we all stand against such inhumane acts, those who can’t speak for themselves would get a voice. If we do not fix animal abuse or animal cruelty soon we will have no more animals in the future. Governments should make sure that animals are not being abused and should make strict laws and enforce them against those who try to violate them. Animals should not be abused and the rights they deserve must be given to them.
