Sick sacred bull slaughtered

LONDON -- After a prolonged dispute with the authorities, Shambo, a sacred bull revered by Hindus in Wales that tested positive for bovine tuberculosis, was slaughtered.

Shambo was one of a herd of cattle kept by monks of the Skanda Vale Hindu monastery in Wales. The monastery had won an initial court battle to keep Shambo alive, but lost on appeal July 26.

The secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Ramesh Kallidai, said: "This act has caused great sorrow and grief to Hindus all round the world, and the Welsh government has told the world that they do not care about desecration of a world religion but only about a policy that by its nature is faulty anyway."

The Hindu Forum will seek a meeting with the cabinet minister responsible for agricultural affairs "to check how agricultural law can cater to the needs of sacred animals in Hindu temples in Britain," Kallidai added.

Hindus revere cattle. Cows are sacred because their milk and butter are essential for rituals, and the bull is the vehicle of the god Shiva.

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