KATHMANDU: The Parliamentary Committee on Development today directed the Home Ministry to beef up security at the Gadhimai Mela in Bara in view of a mass slaughter of animals.

The two-day religious event, which takes place in every five years, is being held at Bariyapur VDC from November 22. Over a million people, both from Nepal and the Indian states of UP, Bihar and West Bengal, will throng the Gadhimai Temple, where thousands of animals will be sacrificed.

The committee, chaired by Jitendra Sonal, invited Home Minister Bhim Rawal at the committee meeting and urged him to directly supervise the security arrangements in view of the growing differences of opinion among the local people over the continuation of the customary tradition.

During the meeting, Home Minister Rawal pledged to deploy 1,150 police personnel of the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, besides other

mobile teams, for the security of the pilgrims.

The committee also

asked the minister to make necessary arrangements

of drinking water, communication, accommodation

and health camps in and around the shrine.

A few days ago, a team of the committee members had visited the temple area and interacted with representatives of the political parties and local residents.

Local residents have been divided into two camps after “Buddha Boy” Ram Bahadur Bomjan, who has been meditating in the Bara jungle, called for stopping the sacrifice and said that he would spearhead the campaign to stop the tradition.

Animal rights activists have also been protesting the practice when thousands of animals are slaughtered in the name of appeasing local deity. On the other hand, a fair chunk of locals have been saying that said they would continue with the age-old tradition.