The cost of sacrifice

SIALKOT: A new trend of cost-sharing sacrificial animals has been gaining momentum in the Sialkot district. Locals have said that the rising prices of sacrificial animals this year after the floods has made it hard for them to afford to sacrifice animals on their own and many joint families have decided to ‘cost-share’ sacrificial cows.

“This way we can afford to sacrifice a cow rather than a small goat, which is all we would be able to afford if we were doing this individually,” said Pasrur resident Naveed Khan. Khan said that the prices of sacrificial animals (which were much less in number than last year) were much higher than last year’s prices.

Several religious groups and NGOs have also announced packages of cost-sharing sacrificial animals ahead of Eidul Azha, saying that these packages had been offered for the benefit of those who could not afford sacrificial animals without their assistance.  However, locals have expressed their reluctance at participating in cost share schemes initiated by religious groups or NGOs, saying that these groups usually fleeced customers and the animals that they sacrificed were of poor quality and were much cheaper than the rates they charged locals.

“I tried this last year and cost shared a cow under an NGO scheme, the animals they gave from their own families were healthy and yet the ones they sacrificed from our money were sickly and much cheaper even though we were charged the full amount,” said Sambrial resident Usman Sheikh, adding that the cost sharing scheme had led to many disputes between the people who were sharing the animals. “There were issues regarding who would distribute the meat and who would get to choose the animals,” he said, adding that several fights had already broken out among people cost sharing animals this year. Most religious organisations have offered a cost-sharing package for cows at Rs6,000 to 7,000 per share including the payment for butchers. Most daily wage earners said that despite issues with trusting someone else to find and purchase the animals, these packages were the only way they could afford sacrificial animals this year. “Most people want to give cow meat this year by sharing the cost rather than spending nearly the same amount on a goat given the skyrocketing prices,” said Ameen Hassan, a salesman at the local ‘bakra mandi’. On the other hand, traders have set up their markets on grounds located in congested residential and commercial areas in Daska, Sambrial, Bhopalwala, Uggoki, Satrah, Pasrur, Chawinda and Badiana. The traders claimed that there was almost a 50 per cent increase in the prices of sacrificial animals as compared to last years’ prices. “People seem to be avoiding giving goats and many families are sharing the cost of a camel or a cow this year,” said trader Khalid Iqbal from Mianwali, adding “I suppose that ends up being much cheaper and they don’t have to worry about being cheated out of their money when it is all in the family.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2010.