Tonk royals abandon practice of sacrificing camel

JAIPUR: A 150-year tradition of sacrificing camel on Id ul-Zuha inside the Nawab Mahal in Tonk has ended. Tonk's Nawab family on Saturday announced to discontinue the tradition as camel was recently declared Rajasthan's state animal.

The announcement came two days before the festival even as animal rights groups wrote to chief minister Vasundhara Raje urging her intervention to end the practice.

"In order to maintain communal harmony in the region and for respect on the law of the land, we have decided to discontinue this tradition," said Nawab Hamid Ali, Tonk royal family member.

The family denied succumbing to pressure from animal right activist or political parties.

Tonk state ruler Nawab Ibrahim Ali Khan IV had begun the tradition of sacrificing camel in 1864. It was introduced keeping in mind poverty of the people of Tonk.

"From 1864 till 1990, the Nawabs sacrificed two camels one at Eidgah and second at their mansion. The sole idea was to distribute meat among the poor and needy," said Ali.

The family began sacrificing one camel since 1992 amid communal tensions. Since that period, the family has been sacrificing one camel inside their palace in the presence of only family members.

Every year, a month before the festival, the family informed the local police about the event.

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