BHUBANESWAR: Hundreds of animals were sacrificed as part of a tribal culture amidst heavy deployment of the police at Sanakhala, about 30 km from the district headquarters town of Bolangir on Tuesday.

More than 1,300 roosters and 500 goats were slaughtered on the occasion of tribal festival, Suliya Yatra, which continued till the evening.

Before the festival, the tradition of sacrificing animals, which had been continuing for ages, attracted severe criticism from animal rights activists.

Mute spectators

The day began with senior district-level officials seen discouraging tribals not to continue the crude tradition. Even as a large section of people belonging to Kondh tribe, who came with sacrificial animals, were about to return, then came a procession comprising people armed with traditional weapons. Soon the session of animal sacrifice began.

Apprehending that any coercive action could lead to commotion, the police stood mute spectators while people, who arrived from different parts of neighbouring districts, offered their animals for slaughtering.

Another place, Badakhala, where the sacrifice was stopped last year, people spent the day by singing devotional songs and organising spiritual discourses.

"Prohibitory orders were clamped only at Badakhala. There was no prohibitory order in force at Sanakhala. The police were only deployed to control law and order and prevent attack on anti-sacrifice campaigners," Bolangir Superintendent of Police Narasingha Bhol said.

As part of the custom, animals are bathed and then anointed with turmeric. Subsequently, these animals are hacked in the presence of thousands of people amidst drum beating and chanting of hymns. The tribals believe that goddess Suliya would protect them from evil forces if they appeased her with animal sacrifice.

Suliya Sanskar Manch, a forum launched to do away with the cruel tradition, condemned the incident saying that the administration did not play its role as was expected.

President of the manch Santanu Kumar Nayak said: "The district administration did not show the enthusiasm that was required for the noble cause. There might have some political compulsion not to act on the issue."

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