MUMBAI, July 10: It is a day of mourning, when police pay their respects to accident victims all over the city. July 23, Gatari Amavasya. The sombre mood is palpable at most of Mumbai's 72 police stations. It is also a day when the city police are left with blood on their hands, after washing the souls of the dead in a bloody sacrifice that has made animal rights groups cry blue murder.Every year on this day, police personnel identify accident-prone spots and other places marked by violent mishaps which fall under the jurisdiction of their individual police stations - and slaughter birds and animals for sacrifice and consumption. Though the ritual, observed since the British Raj, is meant to placate the souls of accident victims, the grisly means has provoked outrage among animal rights groups. They have threatened to slap at least four pieces of legislation on the keepers of the law and move court if the slaughter is not stopped.Having petitioned various authorities since the last three years, thesegroups have decided to turn on the heat. They have already written to Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde, who also holds charge of the Home Department, asking him to intervene.Explaining the ritual, a constable from the Azad Maidan police station says: ``On this day we offer a cock or hen, a lemon, haldi and kumkum. Later we have a feast. The expenses are borne by us personally.'' But Anil Shah, chairperson of Mahajanam, is incensed. He says: ``We are not trying to play spoilsport. We are only saying that the law enforcers must not flout animal protection laws. They can still have their fill by restricting themselves to consuming vegetables or sweets, which they did till about 15 years ago,'' Shah points out. The practice violates the Prevention to Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960, Maharashtra Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1978, Urban Development Act, 1952, and a resolution passed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation in 1964 which restricts animal slaughter to the Deonar abattoir only, Shah underscores. TheViniyog Parivar Trust has urged Munde vide a letter dated July 9, 1998, to instruct the Police Department to stop the abhorrent practice. ``What is most deplorable is that the police stations who are supposed to be law-enforcing agencies and prevent such killing of animals and birds themselves indulge in such barbaric practice, driven by superstition and more often just for the fun of it,'' trustee A M Parekh wrote in the letter. He adds: ``We request you to issue strict instructions to all the police stations well in advance of this date so that at least the Police Department complies with the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act as also the fundamental duty of showing compassion towards living beings, imposed by the Constitution.'' Shah says animal groups have petitioned various government and police authorities over the last three years but they are now more determined than ever to stop the bloodletting. ``Seven organisations including ours met to discuss the issue today. We have also decidedto approach associations of constables and inspectors. If the authorities do not relent, we shall move court,'' he adds.
