Is animal sacrifice legal in India? What you can do
Animal sacrifice is still largely legal in India. The most commonly known incidence of animal sacrifice is Bakr-Id.
Animal Sacrifice: Provisions in Union Laws
While India does have The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA), which contains provisions to prevent the cruel treatment of animals, at the same time, Section 28 of the Act allows an animal to be killed in any manner as required by a religion without it being considered an offense.
This means that if there is a religious requirement for the same, then any method of killing an animal is allowed, irrespective of whether such a method may be barred by any other law.
Animal Sacrifice: Provisions in State Laws
However, there have been several State laws that prevent the slaughter of animals in certain places. An example is the Karnataka Prevention of Animal Sacrifices Act, 1959. Under Section 3 of this Act, it is illegal to sacrifice an animal in a place of public worship. If this law is violated, then under Section 6 of the Act, offenders can be served a penalty of a maximum fine of Rs. 500/- or maximum imprisonment of 6 months or both. There are also Acts such as the State Municipal Acts, which may make specific requirements for the places where animals are slaughtered. For example, the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act requires that private slaughterhouses (though not ones maintained by the Municipality) require licenses to operate.
What You Can Do Since Animal Sacrifice is Legal in India
Social Activism The most effective intervention you can make as a step against animal sacrifice is social activism. If you belong to or are familiar with a community that performs animal sacrifice, try to start a conversation around the issue. Try to encourage the performance of non-violent forms of celebration. One such form of celebrating Bakr-Id has been to cut cakes in the shape of goats. Find more details about alternative practices in this information packet on animal sacrifice by Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC)-India.
The Legal Route: In case you wish to go the legal route, the best move forward would be to contact your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or your local Municipal Corporation to ask about the legal requirements around animal sacrifice in your area such as:
- Is a license needed to conduct animal sacrifice?
- Are there some areas where such slaughter in not allowed?
- Is animal sacrifice allowed in public spaces?
- Do the animals sacrificed need to be killed for food for it to be legal?
Ask these questions. The best you can hope for is to stop the slaughter on a technicality.
Networking: Network with animal welfare organizations on the matter of how to stop animal sacrifice. Find directories for animal welfare organizations in the following websites:
Is Animal Sacrifice Legal in India? Concluding Words
We live in a religious and superstitious community. Right now, animal sacrifice is a social issue, not a legal one. Start conversations about the issue, raise awareness about alternative practices. This is the path forward.
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About the author, Viveak Keedia
This article is authored by Viveak Keedia, student of Law from Jindal Global Law School, New Delhi. Twenty-one year old Viveak has been vegan since 2015.
