THE sacrificial ritual of cattle - particularly cows - which is the highlight of the Aidiladha celebration which falls on today (June 17) can be a sensitive subject to Indians of Hindu faith given cows are deemed a symbol of life that should be protected and revered.

It is therefore interesting to see that in the context of Malaysia’s multi-religious/multi-cultural background, some new generation Indian/Hindu has seemed to ‘condone’ the korban ritual while others have expressed reservation about the matter.

Such mixed sentiment is obvious when TheStar reported that a Brahman bull weighing 1,040kg or an equivalent to six regular-sized cattle will be sacrificed during today’s Aidiladha celebration.

The mainstream paper further quoted Tayyib Ranch Sdn Bhd spokesperson Mohd Sakhedan Sidek as saying that the bull nicknamed “Abu” has been sold for RM30,000 to a buyer from Ampang.

“Not a bad selling price, and plus it’s for a good cause to feed the ones in need, I don’t see any problem,” opined netizen Prashad Ganesan to the applause of many Muslim netizens who praised him for his understanding that the ultimate spirit of the korban ritual is to ensure that “the poor, less fortunate and needy reap the benefits”.

Netizen Kanagesvaran Thevar saw nothing wrong with the korban ritual as cattle is part of “a food chain for human” while Vatsala Palmanaphan reckoned that “each of us have our own beliefs and religion”.

Eisvari Ganddhi sought blessing for the bull’s soul for “its meat would go to feed many poor people” while stressing the need “to respect all religions”.

On the other side of the fence, Kasi Nathan felt that “all mammal species animals have feelings like human beings”.

Raja Segaran Kuppusamy suggested “to keep the korban ritual in an enclosed environment” to preserve the spirit of Madani government and to respect the cultural and religious beliefs of non-Muslims.

Avinash Rames hinted wondered how many of the folks commenting are actually full- vegetarian” lest their comments reflect “their hypocrisy at its finest”.

Navindran Palasendaram is of the view that the polemic is not about food chain or religious sensitivity but “about that particular species which is rare and getting endangered”.

There are many, many afterthoughts that are shared by netizens but due to space constrain, we shall conclude here with this final wish by Johndevan Ragunathan. - June 17, 2024

https://focusmalaysia.my/malaysian-indians-hindus-express-mixed-feelings-over-korban-ritual-of-1040kg-brahman-bull/