KATHMANDU: Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary has said that the festival should not be limited to the religious tradition of worshiping only one day of the year but should show compassion, love and responsibility towards animals throughout the year.

Speaking at the Kukur Tihar special program organized by the First Lady of Nepal Sabina Kafle, Minister Chaudhary said that the occasion of Kukur Tihar has given the message of humanity, compassion, gratitude, honesty, respect towards nature and coexistence among humans and other animals.

Stating that animal welfare and human health are complementary issues to each other, the President underscored the need of collaboration among the government, local level and all stakeholders for rabies control, immunization, sterilization and responsible animal husbandry under the ‘One Health Concept’.

Minister Chaudhary said that the Nepali Embassy in Nepal, Nepali community abroad, tourism promotion agencies and international animal welfare organizations can be collaborated to make the Kukur Tihar known at the international level. She said that this would also contribute to the promotion of Nepal’s original culture and cultural tourism. However, she said that it is equally important to preserve the original cultural essence and behavior of Kukur Tihar rather than expanding its international identity.

Referring to the historical and legal basis for animal protection in Nepal, Minister Chaudhary recalled that the Civil Act of 1910 has the provision regarding the protection of cattle and the Pashupatinath Gaushala was established in 1994 BS by then Prime Minister Juddha Shumsher.

Stating that the government has prepared a draft of the Livestock Welfare Bill for formulating a separate law on animal welfare, she stressed the need of making the legal provisions for the prevention and protection of animal cruelty more effective.

Similarly, she said that the programs of vaccination, sterilization, treatment and human management should be made effective for the management of street dogs in coordination with the local governments. She said that the five bases of animal welfare — freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express natural behavior and freedom from fear and stress — should be implemented in practice.

“Along with the government, animal welfare organisations are also playing important role in the rescue, treatment and management of strayed, injured and disabled cattle and dogs,” she said.

Minister Chaudhary said that the situation of worshiping with garlands on one day of the year but living in hunger, disease and mistreatment for the rest of the days should end, adding that religious beliefs should be linked with compassion and tradition with responsibility. He said that the government is committed to ensure respect, protection and humane treatment of animals throughout the year.