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‘Tumpek
Kandang’ and Animal Welfare
On
Saturday the third of April, Hindu’s
in Bali celebrate the glory of Tumpek Kandang.
A celebration holiday in which they perform
a rite for the animal, domesticated ones
and cattle. At that time, their animals
whether, domesticated or otherwise, are
treated more special than ever. Special
offerings are dedicated to them. Do Hindu
devotees worship the animal?
 Certainly,
not. Tumpek Kandang that falls on Sanicara
Kliwon Wuku Uye is not a ritual to pray
for animals, or cattle. It constitutes an
embodiment of awareness and admittance of
Hindu’s towards the bestowal of the
God that is realized as Hyang Rudra or Hyang
Pasupati who has created animals and breeds
that makes up the source of animal protein.
Other as preservers of ecosystem equilibrium,
this creature can be also used for medicinal
ingredients.
The Hindu consider them a friend of life
and fellow brother created by God as a living
creature. Human life is much assisted by
animals, especially in satisfying the needs
of food, the labour force, religious ceremony
and economy. For the sake of preservation
and prosperity of such animals, the Hindu
devotees plead for God as the Greatest Source,
through a rite that is called Tumpek Kandang.
The Association of Indonesian Veterinarian
(PDHI) of Bali Branch always pays continual
attention to the animal world, seeing the
coherence between the religious faith and
cultural discourse of Tumpek Kandang with
the global fundamentals concerning with
the endeavors of animal welfare.
Religious and cultural activities of Tumpek
Kandang is not different from the context
of “ doing nothing for animals”
in accordance with the mission of the animal
rights upholder. A community group performs
an aggressive promotion towards animal rights
expecting that humans do not disturb or
utilize the animals at all. They protest
if the animals are treated beyond “animal
dignity” even though the animals themselves,
perhaps, are never realized to have animal
rights or consider it necessary to fight
for their rights.
Tumpek Kandang has more meaning on the showing
of evidence that Hindu devotees form a community
that is intense and attentive in practicing
the fundamentals of animal welfare. This
means, although some devotees do not consume
meat, there is an awareness of owing “merits”
to the animals, since such creatures are
the preserver of the equilibrium of the
ecosystem. Without animals on earth, the
life cycle does not work, and even interrupts.
According to the Universal Declaration for
the Welfare of Animals (WSPA), animal welfare
is a condition where the physical, psychological,
and behavioral needs of the animals are
satisfied. Animal here refers to living
creatures beyond human being either mammals,
avers, reptiles, amphibian or invertebrates
that can feel pain or distress.
As the latest development, the implementation
of agreements of GATT (General Agreement
on Trade and Tarrif) and SPS (Sanitary Phytosanitary)
in international trade has led to the incoming
of animal welfare aspects for quality assurance
that could have an impact on agricultural
products, pet breeding and laboratory animals
that have become the export mainstay of
Indonesia.
The affairs of animal welfare come to an
issue that persistently develops in the
world. This matter also makes Indonesia
suffer from personal or organizational highlights
and complaints overseas.
In essence, animal welfare has become a
human responsibility as the owner or breeder
to make sure any kind of animal complies
with three principles: freedom from hunger,
freedom from pain, and freedom from abuse
and misuse. These three matters distinguish
the fundamentals of animal welfare to the
mission of upholding animal rights.
If we desire to be treated justly and humanly,
we will not harm or make violence to others,
so will the analogy to animals. If we expect
these God’s creature’s to yield
a beneficial product for us – certainly
in optimal quality – we should treat
them well, where their physical, psychological
and behavioral needs are satisfied. At the
same time, we release them from hunger,
pain, abuse and misuse.
The commitment to care about animal welfare
does not mean “forgetting” the
efforts to make the human being prosperous
in advance. The animal welfare is not an
expression of pessimism behind human unhappiness.
In any condition, we all are responsible
for animal health and welfare in which at
the end is human welfare as well. Meat,
milk or eggs is not luxury food any longer.
Such ingredients would be in optimal quality
if they were originated from the prosperous
animal, not from painful and tortured ones.
Bali hosted the international and national
workshop on animal welfare that took place
at The Grand Bali Beach on 8 October 1991.
It certainly constituted a great honor and
appreciation towards the public commitment
(especially the Hindu devotees) on this
island in implementing the fundamentals
of animal welfare. Behind that, the veterinarians
in Bali considered the organization of such
events made up a “signal” that
Indonesia – particularly, Bali –
is necessary to pay more attention to the
efforts of realizing animal welfare. In
spite of the fact that the Hindu religion
and Balinese culture have drawn a line on
this matter, the complexity of public life
demanded very much its realization.
Apart from the problem, if it is an appreciation
or “signal”, the workshop has
given some inputs on requirements and regulations
of animal welfare in the member countries
of the Federation of Asia Pacific Veterinary
Association (FAVA), including Indonesia.
The veterinarians in Bali have socialized
the importance of animal welfare in enhancing
the efficiency and affectivity of the use
of cattle and animal resources and establishing
the community who care about animal welfare
in the framework of realizing the welfare
of social life. Various actions have been
taken in implementing the concept of animal
welfare like rescuing streets dogs, socialization
of welfare-oriented systems for animal transportation,
animal slaughter that care “about animal
dignity” and other actions. (BTN/Drh.
Komang Suarsana)
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