Target: Devesh Shashni, Municipal Commissioner of Almora, Uttarakhand.
Goal: Enforce the High Court’s conditions, swiftly investigate abuses, and seek maximum penalties for anyone who conducts cruel, unlawful animal sacrifices during the Nanda Devi Festival.
The High Court lifted an earlier ban on animal sacrifice for the Nanda Devi Festival but only under strict safeguards: no public killings; all ritual slaughter to occur inside a temporary, administration-run slaughter facility; pollution and food-safety oversight; and other compliance measures. These directions were framed specifically to prevent cruelty and public distress. Authorities were instructed to control the setting, ensure proper supervision, and keep the acts out of public view to minimize suffering and disorder.
Despite these constraints, ritual slaughter can still, if mismanaged, subject animals to terror, mishandling, and prolonged pain. Public-view killing, transportation without adequate food, water, or shade, and untrained or hurried cutting heighten suffering and violate both the mandate and basic welfare norms. Past festival seasons in many regions have been marred by dumping of remains and unhygienic practices—outcomes this ruling intended to prevent by requiring enclosed facilities and inspections.
To protect animals and the public, decisive enforcement is essential. Any individual or group that kills animals in public, conducts slaughter outside the designated facility, ignores licensing and sanitation requirements, or inflicts apparent cruelty should face prompt investigation and—upon evidence—maximum penalties under applicable animal-welfare and public-health laws. Sign below to demand proactive steps such as continuous inspections, real-time reporting hotlines, and immediate suspension of noncompliant operations are to ensure that the court’s conditions are fully honored and that animals are spared needless suffering.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Shashni,
We respectfully urge your office to rigorously implement the High Court’s conditional allowance for animal sacrifice during the Nanda Devi Festival and to seek the strongest lawful penalties against anyone who violates these safeguards. The court directed that any ritual killing be conducted only inside a temporary, administration-run slaughter facility, with no public display and with pollution and food-safety oversight in place. These measures exist to prevent cruelty, disorder, and public distress.
Please direct your teams to carry out unannounced checks at the approved facility and along known transport routes; to document compliance; and to immediately investigate reports of public slaughter, mishandling, or inhumane practices. Where evidence supports it, we ask that you file charges and pursue maximum penalties against all responsible parties for any conduct that causes unnecessary suffering or defies the court’s order.
We further request transparent public reporting during the festival period, including the number of inspections, violations found, and corrective actions taken. Meaningful enforcement will deter future abuses, uphold the court’s conditions, and deliver justice for animals who would otherwise endure preventable pain.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: P. L. Tandon
