In the recent past• Three Buddhist Groups

emerge

• Bodu Bala Sena

• Sihala Ravaya

• Ravana Balaya

• Protest against Cattle Slaughter and Beef Eating

There were peaceful Marches

And sit in protests

Ugly Brawls

Violent Behaviors

Going above the law

But The Culmination of all

protests were…..

The Self Immolation ofVen Bowatte Indrarathna Thera

Protest against cattle slaughter and beef eating

These campaigns leads to

• Awareness of cattle slaughter

• How they are slaughtered

• The suffering the animals( during slaughter)

• Animosity with the groups in beef trade

• Refraining from eating beef

Historical Evidence Against Cattle Slaughter/Beef Eating

• King Elara Killed his son for killing a calf

• King Mahinda IV indicated in “WewelketiyaGratiffi” punishments for cattle slaughter

• King Bhathikabhaya demoted people who ate beef in to Janitors

• Ibn Battuta explained in his records about punishments for cattle slaughter

• Ma Huan also explained about attitudes of sihhala society towards cattle slaughter

Social Background of Cattle Slaughter /Beef Eating

• Used in agriculture

• Raise as their own children

• Gives milk, transport and

natural fertilizer

• slaughtering /

eating beef despised

• Beef eaters

low caste people

Religious Background of Cattle Slaughter/Beef Eating

• Buddha taught Ahimsa

• Taking life of another considered to be a sin

• But never prohibit monks from eating meat

Refuse Devadatta’s request

• In Hinduism cattle is a holy animal (lord Siva’s Vehicle)

Jivaka Sutta

• three instances meat should not be partaken, when

• (1) seen,

• (2) heard, or when

• (3) there is suspicion. (That the living being has been purposely slaughtered for the eater)

• prohibited the eating of flesh of 10 animals

• human beings, elephants, horses, dogs, snakes, lions, tigers, leopards, bears and hyenas.

• cattle were not included in this list.

• Mahagopalaka Sutta explains the qualities of good cattle farmer

Europeans came in 1505

• They ate beef

• Sinhala peoples attitude towards beef eating changes with Europeans

• They supplied the Europeans with cattle and themselves start eating beef

The Legal Aspects of Cattle Slaughter

• Animal Act (No. 29 of 1958) • slaughter of heifers and cows are prohibited.(neat cattle and Buffalo)

• The cows slaughtered with government vet surgeons certificate ( 10 years old / not productive/poor health.)

• The neat cattle bulls can be slaughtered.

• Buffalo bulls cannot be slaughtered unless GVS certify (10 years old / not productive/poor health.)

Ethical Aspects of Cattle Slaughter/Beef Eating

• The way we treat non-human animals (be it a dog, a cow, a mice).Slaughtering

/ill treating/using in experiments

• No religious belief, faith or

fear of punishment involved.

• Based on deep thinking and conviction

( Animal Liberation: Towards an End to Man’s Inhumanity To Animals” Peter singer )

With ones convictionOne can become….

• A vegan or a Vegetarian Ovo-vegetarian or Lacto --vegetarian

This is purely a personal act

Neat Cattle and Buffalo Populations in Sri Lanka in 1000s

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Neat CattlePopulation

Buffalo Population

The Milk Production in 1000liters

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

neat Cattle

Buffalo

Slaughter of Cattle-1000heads

0

50

100

150

200

250

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Whole Island

Colombo MC

Milking Cows

Dry Cows

Neat Cattle 280250 287760 568010

Buffalo 94290 77180 171470

Total 739480

Current productive dairy herd

Implications of Banning Cattle Slaughter and Beef Eating

If Cattle slaughter is banned

• With in few years the cattle population will rise to millions

• Will be an uncontrollable pest

• Will graze all the grass lands available

• Make the country a dessert by deforestation

• Small holders, will give up dairying

• They cannot feed all the cattle-no land

• No profits from selling additional cows and bulls

• Unprofitable business

• Large herds keepers will go out of business because their main business is beef trade

Suggestions

• Using sexed semen

That produce female calves at 95% accuracy

• Establish Cattle sanctuaries

That can maintain unproductive animals and bulls

• Export all the bulls and unproductive cows

Conclusion

• The sex semen expensive

Still no answer to unproductive cows

• Cattle sanctuaries-there is no adequate land, lack of grass, and non profitable venture

• Exporting Bulls and unproductive animals, for slaughter –Again for slaughter

• No dairy industry without a beef industry

• Milk powder / milk products import from factory farms.-worse than ours

• Humane methods of cattle management/ slaughter methods is the need.