Shambo the bull was finally executed by Welsh authorities on Thursday 26th July, after dozens of policemen had to force their way past protestors who were trying to protect the animal. He was eventually carried away and put down by lethal injection that same night. Shambo will go down as perhaps the most famous bull in history, with thousands of media outlets in dozens of countries covering the story about the battle for survival waged on his behalf.

Shambo who had resided at Skanda Vale temple complex since birth had tested positive for exposure to bovine tuberculosis three months ago. By the law of the land he had to be put down, but protestors consisting of residents at the temple as well as various Hindu organizations around Britain were trying to prevent this from happening.
Despite an initial reprieve, it was eventually determined by the Welsh Assembly that Shambo would be killed regardless of any religious sentiments, and this decision was upheld by the courts.

Debate continues

The “Shambo issue” sparked an intense public debate about the treatment of animals in society and also the extent to which religious sentiment should be allowed to affect state decisions. A poll by the London Metro found that most Londoners, irrespective of their faith, felt that Shambo should live.

The debate has by no means ended with Shambo’s death. “New Statesmen”, a popular British current affairs magazine has published sharply differing opinion pieces by two very well known British Hindu representatives, Dilip Lakhani (Vivekananda Centre) and Ramesh Kallidai (Hindu Forum of Britain).

Dilip Lakhani feels it was irresponsible of Hindu groups to put up any opposition to Shambo’s execution, and that the whole episode made Hinduism look “backward”, by making too much fuss about the fate of a single creature without reference to the greater good. On the other hand, Ramesh Kallidai argues that the way in which human society treats its animals’ needs to be more compassionate, and that medical solutions should be given a chance before resorting to outright slaughter of fellow creatures.

No matter what view you hold, it is for certain that society as a whole needs to give serious thought to such questions. If Shambo’s death continues to stimulate introspection and constructive debate then his death will not have been in vain.