Sacrifice sparks debate

Baitadi, October 3:

With the Dashain festival in full swing, Dalits and non-Dalits in Dehimandu VDC in the district are disputing over the sacrifice of buffaloes in the local Nigalasaini Bhagwati temple.

While non-Dalits are saying that Dalits should take the flesh of buffaloes after the sacrifice as Prasad, Dalits maintain that they wouldn’t take the flesh.

“The Dalits themselves are split whether or not to take the flesh of sacrificed buffaloes as Prasad,” Jagadishram Loohar, coordinator of Nepal Rastriya Dalit Samaj Kalyan Sangh, said. There is the practice of sacrificing hundreds of animals in the temple on the day of Mahaastami.

Though most of the Dalits have agreed to the proposal of non-Dalits, some Dalit youths, organisations working for the empowerment of Dalits and office-bearers of Carcass Boycott Programme are against the proposal. Pro-Dalit organisations and office-bearers of the programme boycotted a meeting held yesterday to discuss the issue.

“The meeting decided that Dalits will take flesh of sacrificed animals as Prasad,” a member of Nigalasaini Bhagwati temple management panel said.