Justice katju
Eid ul Zuha ( Eid al Adha or Bakrid ) is an important Muslim festival which is falling this year on 6th or 7th June. On this date Muslims sacrifice an animal to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of a ram to God ( instead of his son )
In India Muslims usually sacrifice a goat, but the price of a goat has gone upto Rs 30,000 ( as I was informed ), which most poor Muslims cannot afford. So instead of sacrificing a goat 7 poor Muslims get together and collectively sacrifice a buffalo, and it is believed they get the same spiritual benefit.
The cost of a non milk yielding buffalo is about Rs 55,000, so the per head cost is about Rs 8,000, which poor Muslims can afford.
In this connection I may narrate an incident.
I was appointed a Judge of the Allahabad High Court in 1991, and shortly thereafter a petition was filed before me by some Hindu organization in whish it was prayed that I should pass an order that no buffalo should be slaughtered on Bakrid.
I asked the counsel for the petitioner why I should pass such an order ? He replied that buffalo was the sawaari ( carriage ) of Lord Yamraj ( the Hindu God of death ), so the religious feelings of Hindus were hurt if a buffalo is slaughtered. I said that ‘chooha” ( mouse) is the savari of Lord Ganesh. So should I prohibit killing of mice ?
There are thousands of Hindu gods and goddesses ( some say 35 crore ), each having his/her own animal savaari. Should slaughter of all such animals be banned by the Court.? It would be ridiculous.
I said I can only enforce the law, not sentiments. There was a law in UP prohibiting slaughter of cows ( the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955 ), so I will ensure that this law is follow. But there is no law prohibiting slaughter of buffaloes.
Having said that, I dismissed the petition
