HOLY COW FOR THE CHOP!
(11 May 2007)

The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) has today added its voice to calls to save the life of Shambo, the sacred bull at the Skanda Vale temple in Wales who is threatened with slaughter because he has tested positive in a routine bovine tuberculosis test. The current policy of DEFRA is to kill any animal suspected of carrying Bovine TB. The National Assembly of Wales has deferred its original intention to slaughter Shambo on 14 May 2007. They have said that they are still carefully considering what they concede to be a sensitive and unusual case. The Temple hopes that this consideration will lead to a change of policy and change of practice.

HCUK is urging its 500 member organisations (including all UK Hindu temples) and Hindus nationwide to write to their MPs, asking them to back Andrew Dismore MP, the Labour Member of Parliament for Hendon, who has raised an urgent question in Parliament and tabled a House of Commons motion challenging DEFRA's decision that Shambo must be slaughtered.

"In Hinduism, all life is sacred and has a soul," says Anil Bhanot, the HCUK's General Secretary. "We see absolutely no need for Shambo to be slaughtered as he has now been isolated from the rest of the herd so cannot infect other animals. He is never going to be part of the food chain and we understand it is possible to treat him should he go on to develop TB, which is by no means a certainty. As the Hindu community will be more than willing to meet the cost of any medical treatment he receives, I feel strongly that all other avenues must be explored before Shambo is allowed to be killed as a last resort as his death will be a great loss."

Mr Bhanot says the HCUK is now asking members to write to their MPs 'totally opposing the unnecessary destruction of Shambo at the Skanda Vale sanctuary and asking them as their representative to lobby the Welsh Assembly to withdraw the destruction order on the grounds that the right of worship is enshrined in the Human Rights Act and the "murder" of Shambo will directly take away the rights of Hindus to worship in a manner prescribed in the Scriptures. Shambo has been part of the Temple sanctuary where prayer instils a spiritual meaning to its soul which the Temple devotees are at pains to protect"

DECISION DEFERRED ON SHAMBO

The National Assembly of Wales has deferred its original intention to slaughter Shambo, the sacred bull at the Skanda Vale Temple. The authorities were going to move to slaughter next week (14 May 2007) but they have since delayed this action. They have said that they are still carefully considering what they concede to be a sensitive and unusual case. The Temple hopes that this consideration will lead to a change of policy and change of practice.

Responding to the decision by the Assembly, Swami Suryananda of the Skanda Vale Temple, said: “We are encouraged by the response of the authorities to defer their decision on the future of Shambo. To consider killing as a solution is not an option and we would hope the threat of slaughter could be removed so that we can establish constructive dialogue with the Assembly to find a practical solution that upholds the highest values of the Hindu faith but also meets the health and safety requirements.

CB Patel, Chair of the Patrons Council of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said: “There is still a lot of concern among the community, but the Assembly’s decision to respond sensitively to this unusual case is heartening. We would suggest other diagnostic tests are conducted to ascertain if infection is actually present and, if so, identify the area infected and treat accordingly with medication.”

Other UK Hindu organisations that have given their support to Skanda Vales’ campaign include the Hindu Council of Birmingham, Hindu Council of Brent, Hindu Council of Harrow, Hindu Council of the North, Leicester Festival Hindu Council, Hindu Council UK and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK.

90,000 pilgrims visit the Skanda Vale temple annually. Cows and bulls are considered sacred by Hindus, who refrain from eating beef. So far, 4,000 people have signed an online petition to save Shambo's life. The Skanda Vale Temple Website and online petition can be found at http://www.skandavale.org