Huge Butchery Of Animals In India
By Labhshankar Laxmidas
Summary
The text highlights the extensive animal slaughter in India during the early 20th century, citing data and accounts from various sources. In 1912, Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras reported the killing of 11,024 sheep and goats, 2,860 cattle, and 2,860 pigs, with concerns raised about the far larger numbers likely across the entire country. Observers noted the widespread consumption of meat, particularly in regions like Azamgarh and around sacred cities such as Kashi, where pigs were frequently sacrificed. During Durga Puja in Calcutta, the area around Kali’s temple was described as filled with blood and stench from slaughtered goats. Certain Brahmin communities were criticized for performing ritual animal sacrifices, often inflicting prolonged suffering. Additionally, a missionary expressed concern over the growing meat-eating habits among Indian Christians. The appeal, addressed to General Bramwell Booth of the Salvation Army, urged advocacy for vegetarianism to curb the "huge and steadily increasing butchery" linked to religious practices and the meat trade, emphasizing its ethical and humanitarian implications.
Conclusion
This document starkly highlights the pervasive and escalating scale of animal slaughter in early 20th-century India, with alarming statistics from major cities and documented accounts of ritualistic and commercial practices perpetuating widespread suffering. The appeal underscores the moral urgency of addressing not only the staggering number of animals killed—from cattle and calves to pigs and goats—but also the cultural and religious normalization of such practices, including prolonged torture during sacrifices. The findings reveal a troubling contradiction: the rise in meat consumption even among communities traditionally associated with vegetarianism, such as some Indian Christians. This report serves as a critical call to action, emphasizing the need for ethical intervention to curb the cruelty of the meat trade and challenge the societal and religious ideologies that sustain it, advocating for a shift toward compassion and dietary reform.