The speaker discusses the Gadhimai festival in Nepal, which occurs every five years and involves the mass slaughter of animals like buffaloes, goats, and pigeons. This event is described as a commercial activity driven by local temple committees who exploit superstitions, convincing people that the deity demands blood. A significant portion of the animals and participants come from Indian states like Bihar due to the open border. The speaker highlights the lack of infrastructure and the extreme filth at the site, where millions gather without basic sanitation, resulting in a landscape covered in waste and blood. In 2014, the speaker initiated legal action in the Supreme Court of India to stop the illegal transportation of animals to Nepal. Since the activity violated Indian laws and lacked export licenses, the Court ordered the sealing of borders in Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand during the festival. This legal intervention also led to the creation of long-term solutions, such as the Livestock Market Rules and guidelines for animal shelters. While the number of sacrifices significantly decreased by 2019, the speaker emphasizes that tens of thousands of animals are still killed, and the struggle continues for the upcoming 2024 festival. Efforts to curb the violence include sensitizing the Gadhimai temple committee, who eventually publicly announced they would discourage animal sacrifice. The speaker also details extensive groundwork, such as training police forces in border districts, organizing street plays, and rescuing young animals to be kept in sanctuaries. Despite obtaining favorable orders from the Nepalese Supreme Court, enforcement remains a challenge due to a weak police force in Nepal. The speaker concludes that the most effective strategy is to focus on securing Indian borders and educating the highly marginalized and superstitious populations through direct outreach and increased manpower.
