Dhoni on Role…
Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday incurred the wrath of a group against animal abuse, which lashed out at India’s one day captain for recently sacrificing a goat at a Ranchi temple to celebrate Indian cricket team’s tri-series triumph in Australia.
Angered by the goat sacrifice, the Indian wing of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has shot a letter to the Indian captain, asking him to refrain from such cruel acts in future.
Claiming that they have been flooded with calls and e-mails from people who were “horrified” by the incident, PETA India’s chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney condemned the incident and reminded Dhoni that he was a role model to his innumerable fans.
“I hope that, upon reflection, you have come to regret your decision to tarnish your triumph with cruelty to animals,” she wrote in the letter.
Asserting that such act has no place in Indian culture, Sawhney said along with other age-old practices like sati, child marriage and cast differentiation, sacrificing animal was banned in several states and Dhoni clearly did not adhere to the law by killing the goat.
“As a talented athlete, you are a role model for young people. We hope that you will consider the enormous influence you have over the children and in the future refrain from cruel acts that your young fans might be inspired to imitate,” the letter read.
“Mr Dhoni will really need divine intervention now to repair his tarnished image,” Sawhney remarked.

I am a palaeontologist. Humans evolved to be the omnivores we are today. Adding meat to our vegetarian diet was important in the development of sophisticated brains, which help in thinking, analysing and problem solving. As for PETA (People Eating Tomato Atchar) they should stop the double standards. Kudos to Dhoni for practising his culture. He is proud of it, and he should be. I was born Christian, but am proud of my Hindu Ancestry. Shame to all the people who wrote-off him and his young brigade. They will go on to do great things without support. To Dravid & Ganguly, please don’t bring your tired, aging & mummifying bodies to T20 & ODI’s. We need youngsters. Stick to test cricket where you can field off block shots or slip. Yes, you have done great things, but your shelf life is long expired! Indian cricket like our economy, strives to be dynamic, you will only slow us down!
Shallin Abraham
Thursday, March 20, 2008