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According to officials, the Section has been imposed to deter the locals from sacrificing animals on the festival day which they observe on the first Tuesday of the Hindu calendar month of Pausa.
Notwithstanding the Odisha HC ban on animal sacrifice, every year tribals throng to Khairagud and Khumuria to appease their revered god Sulia with animals, which they call an expression of faith and thanksgiving.
“The government officials have failed completely in their measures to check animal sacrifice due to absence of strong orders from top bosses. Only prohibitory orders won’t do, they need to implement it strongly,” said Mohan Bhoi, a member of Sulia Sanskar Manch (SSM), a local anti-sacrifice group.
“They too don’t want to bear the brunt of the tribals by daring to stop the mass killing of animals,” said Bhoi adding that to the much disappointment of the police, animals were seen butchered at the banned sites at times.
The locals are however, in no mood to stop what they call offerings, rather cling to the tradition. “This is an age-old tradition and how we’ll keep us away from these celebrations,” asked Sankhua, a resident of Khumuria.
