[Assam] Swami Ramdev on Kamakhya sacrifices (2005- Archive)

[Ram Sarangapani]

There has been a lot written about this horrible practice in
Assamnet.
Around this same time, there was also a thread by Rajen Barua on "The
opposite of Human Sacrifice", and many of us joined in. People might want to
read those views too.

I would submit that our views remain the same.
Pallavi Barua makes a good point, and even though she is sensitive about
Ramdev's views, the people to actually blame are:

The authorities of Kamakhya Temple
The Govt. of Assam
The Politicians who make a bee line (from all over India) to sacrifice
animals at the temple
and lastly, the clueless, 'diving into religion, head first' devotees.

--Ram







On 7/29/08, Dr. Sashanka <sashanka_2000 at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> Following is an archive letter to the editor of 'The Sentinel'.
>
> Link: http://assamnet. org/pipermail/ assam_assamnet. org/2005- December/
> 002754.html
>
> *Animal Sacrifice at Kamakhya*
>
> I was watching the TV channel 'Aastha' last Monday (December 19) when
> the ongoing week-long Yoga camp (December 16-22, 2005) organized in
> Guwahati, conducted by the renowned yoga guru Swami Ramdev was being aired.
>
> During the programme, Swami Ramdev said that the people of Assam have a bad
> reputation in other parts of the country for their notorious
> practice of sacrificing animals at the temple of Kamakhya in Guwahati.
>
> There is no doubt that the irrational, illogical Tantric cult of
> animal sacrifice is still prevalent in the Shakti peeth of Kamakhya.
>
> But the 'promoters' of such sacrifice are not necessarily "people of
> Assam". Swami Ramdev ought to know that though animal sacrifice in
>
> certain temples is still popular among the Brahmans and the Saktas, a
> large section of the people of Assam have embraced Vaishnavism where
> animal sacrifice is not practised.
>
> Moreover, if Swami Ramdev spares some time to carefully look at the
> abominable practices in Kamakhya, he would find that the people of
> some other parts of India would outnumber the people of Assam when it
> comes to offering animal sacrifice out there. A few days back, an
> influential minister from his neighbouring state UP sacrificed two
> full-grown buffaloes and a number of goats and pigeons as offerings to
> the presiding deity (?), seeking the welfare of politician Mulayam
> Singh Yadav and film actor Amitabh Bachchan. Even the members of the
> 'Royal' families from Nepal and Rajasthan land up in Kamakhya to
> indulge in such practices from time to time. The irony lies in the
> fact that most of these practitioners, otherwise, pose to be in the
> shoes of the much glorified lot called 'Vegetarians' !
>
> In spite of being so well-travelled, I am somewhat disappointed to
> know that Swami Ramdev's notions about the State is no different from
> that of any average Indian from other parts of the country.
>
> Pallavi Barua,
> Guwahati-781 003,
>
>
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