Click to play videoLondon: It's the latest clash of beliefs in the United Kingdom. After much debate over veils and turbans, a ‘sacred’ bull is now at the centre of a raging controversy.
Six-year-old Shambo recently tested positive for Bovine Tuberculosis and UK’s Health and Safety laws say animals suffering from the disease must be slaughtered.
However, the decision has enraged the Hindu Forum of Britain that argues slaughtering Shambo is against religious beliefs.
“The community and the people at the temple are shocked. We’ve got e-mails saying how shocked people were, there’s a sense of disappointment,” says Sanjay Mistry of the Hindu Forum.
The battle to save Shambo was dragged to the court of law, where a local judge even granted a reprieve to the bull, only to be turned down by another court in no time.
Finally, the campaign to save him shifted to the Internet, with several websites posting pictures and videos of the bull (live streaming images of Shambo can be watched at http://www.skandavale.org/shambo.htm) and e-mail petitions and mailers being sent out.
But UK’s health authorities are unimpressed, maintaining Shambo is a threat and should be slaughtered - a view Hindu groups obviously don’t agree with.
“We are saying there isn't that much of a risk. Shambho is never going to enter the human chain. He is in a protected environment,” argues Mistry.
While it seems to be the end of the road for Shambho, the Hindu Forum, in a last ditch attempt, has written to UK’s Environment Minister asking them to conduct a final test on the bull, hoping it might turn out to be negative.
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