Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / Archives for Cow Slaughter

RSS justifies Dadri lynching, says Vedas encourage killing

by

rss-dadri

New Delhi: Justifying the brutal lynching of 50-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri over false beef rumours, the RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya recently carried a cover story stating that the Vedas permit the killing of “sinners” who slaughter cows.

In the article titled ‘Is Utpat ke Us paar’, writer Tufail Chaturvedi alias Vinay Krishna Chaturvedi slammed the writers for returning their awards and stated that while they expressed their resentment over the death of Akhlaq, they completely ignored that the latter had killed a cow.

The writer deliberately hid the fact that the assailants had falsely accused Akhlaq of killing a cow and storing beef in his home. Probe and laboratory tests had proved that it was not beef.

Citing several instances of Vedas that prohibit cow slaughter, Chaturvedi expressed that ‘cow slaughter is an issue of honour for Hindus and for social harmony it is important that we respect faiths of each other.’

The article also refrained from mentioning the fact that in several instances prominent Hindu religious scriptures including Vedas and Upanishads allowed and encouraged beef consumption.

People who kill the ‘sinners’ (one who slaughter cows) will be glorified and remembered by the society, claims the article.

The article also vouches that all the Muslims, including Akhlaq, were Hindus until a few generations ago.

(Agencies)

 

Cow slaughter rumours trigger tension in UP village, 21 arrested

by

Mainpuri: Police in action after villagers vandalised properties and resorted to arson in Mainpuri district on Friday over rumours of cow slaughter in the area. Photo: PTI

Mainpuri: Police in action after villagers vandalised properties and resorted to arson in Mainpuri district on Friday over rumours of cow slaughter in the area. Photo: PTI

Mainpuri: After Dadri, tension now prevails in this district where rumours of cow slaughter triggered violence with protesters targeting police vehicles and setting afire shops, leaving seven policemen injured.

Twenty-one people have been arrested for yesterday’s violence even as the circle officer has been suspended for alleged laxity.

The violence started after some persons spread rumours of cow slaughter in Karhal area with an intention to trigger communal tension in the town, an official spokesman said today.

However, the post-mortem report found that the cow had died due to an ailment, he said.

As soon as the rumour spread yesterday, people in Nagaria village set police jeeps on fire and damaged several other vehicles and shops as they were agitated over rumours of cow slaughter in the village, police said.

It was alleged that a cow, which was grazing in a field near the village, was taken away for slaughter and its skin was being removed in a house when some villagers barged in, the police said.

District Magistrate Chandrapal Singh said, “A rumour was spread here that a cow has been slaughtered. But when we did a post-mortem of the cow yesterday, it came to the fore that the cow had been dead for sometime. The people who usually remove bodies of animals had taken away the cow and were removing its skin. That is how the rumour started about the cow being slaughtered.”

Following this, some people came onto the streets and agitated. Police reached the spot and arrested those removing the skin of the dead cow, the District Magistrate said.

“Those who were taking out the skin were arrested as well as those who incited the violence on the streets. Twenty-one people, including two who were removing skin of the dead cow, have been arrested,” he said.

Singh said that an FIR has been lodged against 29 named persons and 250 unidentified people for violence.

“When the accused had already been taken away, the angry mob targeted police vehicles, throwing the policemen into a canal and setting their vehicles on fire. The mob also set one shop on fire as well as destroyed vegetables being sold in an open market here,” the District Magistrate said.

“A lot of policemen were injured including two station officers and five constables,” he said.

Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav said attempts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere in Karhal.

“Attempts are being made in Karhal (Mainpuri) to vitiate the communal atmosphere. We are ensuring arrest of those involved in the incident,” he had said.

Yadav also said that SP was fighting communal forces for a long time and would continue doing so.

The violence in Mainpuri comes close on the heels of the Dadri lynching incident in which a man was killed over rumours of alleged beef consumption.

(PTI)

No plans to ban beef in state: Siddaramaiah

by

Photo: The New Indian Express

Photo: The New Indian Express

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has made it clear that there will not be any ban on beef in the state.

When he was asked a question by scribes on the beef ban in light of a protest held in Bengaluru on Thursday April 9 against the beef ban in Maharashtra, Siddaramaiah said “Let the people decide what they want to eat. We do not have the right to question their choices”

“Pork, chicken, mutton and let them eat what they want. Who am I to tell them? “Siddaramaiah added.

The protestors on Thursday at town hall premises had cooked beef biryani on the spot and had eaten it in public to register their opposition to the ban in Maharashtra.

Some prominent faces were also seen in the protest including writers Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa. The protest was organized by the activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

BJP unhappy

Meanwhile BJP has strongly criticized the participation of Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa in the protest by terming the act as ‘A shameful act which a civilised society cannot accept.’

Leader of the opposition in the legislative council K S Eshwarappa has demanded apologies from both the writers for participating in the protest.

“I know they are famous. Whatever they say will get some publicity. But they should have used their popularity for good causes. They should not use their talents for anti social propaganda. If they do not know to promote good causes, they should shut up. Hindus have been watching them patiently. But nobody knows when their anger will explode.” Eshwarappa said.

No knowledge of law?

Veteran freedom fighter H S Doreswamy has said that Girish Karnad and K Marulusiddappa should have had the basic knowledge of prevailing laws which prohibit the slaughter of cows.

He said that even Jammu and Kashmir where the Muslims are in majority has some laws against the killing of cows. He asked not to compare cow to other animals.

Girish Karnad had said during the protest, “The act of banning beef eating is provocative. I may or may not eat beef but I will stand by the right of others for whom the meat is a crucial source of affordable nutrition. It is about people’s right to food and their right to life.”

(Agencies)

Girish Karnad turns up for Bengaluru beef fest, but cops take away food

by

Girish Karnad (sitting, second from right) expressing solidarity with Left activists protesting the beef ban in Maharashtra. (HT Photo)

Girish Karnad (sitting, second from right) expressing solidarity with activists protesting the beef ban in Maharashtra. (HT Photo)

Bengaluru: Calling ban on beef as an act that was against the diverse food culture of our society, Left wing body Democratic Youth Federation of India and Dalit outfits today held a beef eating programme here that was attended by Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad.

The event was organised in protest against the ban on beef in different parts of the country and also supported and attended another famous Kannada writer Dr K Marulasiddappa.

Protesters criticised the beef ban as an attempt to encroach upon the choice of food and against the diverse food culture of Indian society.

Both Karnad and Marulasiddappa did not eat beef,but said they support the event and stand against such ban.

“I don’t want people to say that because I eat beef therefore I opposed the law. No, everyone has the right to practice….” Karnad said.

To a question he said “Who said large part our population doesn’t eat beef? This nonsense is created by Brahmins;this is created by Hindutva protagonists. Vokkaligas, Muslims, Christians, Dalits and many other communities eat….then how is it against the practice of large population of this
country?”

Marulasiddappa said “I have not eaten beef here because I don’t follow that food habit, I have that right, but at the same time I don’t have right to scorn at those who eat it. I have respect towards them.”

Anticipating trouble as the event had invited a lot of opposition, police intervened and took away the eatables made of beef from the organisers.

Criticising the police action as undemocratic, organisers said, “this is against the law, we criticise this act by the police, ours was a peaceful programme, we have in no way affected the law and order situation.”

(PTI)

Rajnath backs national ban on cow slaughter

by

Rajnath Singh

Indore: The NDA government will try its “level best” to bring in a countrywide ban on slaughter of cows by evolving a consensus, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

“Cow slaughter cannot be accepted in this country. We will make all-out efforts to ban it and will also try hard for a consensus,” he told a gathering of spiritual leaders of Shwetambar Jains, a prominent sect of Jainism.

Referring to the cow slaughter ban in the BJP-ruled States of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, the senior BJP leader said nobody should doubt the government’s commitment in this regard.

“The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh enacted a tough law; so has the Maharashtra government. We didn’t waste any time in sending the Bill passed by Maharashtra government to the President for his assent,” he said referring to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, which also extends the ban to slaughter of bulls and bullocks.

On the occasion, Acharya Shivmuni wanted the Centre to bring in legislation in the current Budget Session of Parliament for banning slaughter of buffaloes also.

To this, Mr. Singh said the government needed to have an absolute majority in both Houses of Parliament to enforce a complete ban. “You must be reading in the newspapers how the government has to struggle to get various bills passed in Parliament.” The BJP lacks the numbers in the Rajya Sabha.

Mr. Singh recalled that when he was Agriculture Minister in 2003, his Ministry had prepared a Bill for a total ban on slaughter of cows. “But the moment I rose to present it in Parliament, there was an uproar. That is why we couldn’t get the Bill passed,” he said.

‘Gem of Indian culture’

Describing Jainism as the “gem” of Indian culture, he said: “The entire world is affected by the scourge of terrorism, origin of which lies in the mentality of violence. And this mentality can be fought with the teachings of Jainism.”

(PTI)

People’s Union for Democratic Rights condemns bans on cow slaughter

by

by People’s Union for Democratic Rights

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

On March 16th 2015, the Haryana Government unanimously passed Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Bill with main opposition parties INLD and Congress supporting the Bill. The new bill passed by the Haryana Government bans cow slaughter and sale of beef and imposes a punishment of rigorous imprisonment of not less than three years extending up to 10 years and fines ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. one lakh. The Haryana Government’s move comes just days after the President’s assent to Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 1995 early this month. Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 1995 not only banned beef but also extended the prohibition to slaughter of bulls and oxen. There was already a ban on slaughter of cows in Maharashtra since 1976. The new amended act imposes a fine of Rs. 10,000 and a maximum prison term of five years for selling or even possessing beef.

What needs to be underlined here is that these bans on cow slaughter are not new; they were in existence in many of the states for many-many years. For example in Delhi, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, slaughter of cows and calves is totally prohibited. In Goa and Andhra Pradesh, ‘cow’ is defined to include heifer, or a male or female calf of a cow under the Goa, Daman and Diu Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act 1978 and Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act 1977, respectively. In some states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Madhya Pradesh slaughter of bulls, bullocks and adult buffalos is permitted on ‘fit for slaughter’ certificate if the cattle is over 12 or 15 years of age, is not likely to become economical for draught, breeding or milk. Assam and West Bengal provides for slaughter of all cattle which includes bull, bullocks, calves, cows and buffalo on ‘fit for slaughter’ certificate. Meghalaya and Nagaland have no legislation to this effect.
What, however, is new is the increase in quantum of punishment and fines being imposed in the recent legislations passed against slaughter of cows and other animals. Haryana was covered under the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act 1955 and had a rigorous imprisonment upto five years and a fine upto Rs. 5000 or both. The new Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act increases punishment to rigorous imprisonment of three years to ten years and fines of Rs. 30,000 – Rs. 100,000. In many states like Gujarat, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka the punishment for cow slaughter is a maximum imprisonment of six months or fine upto Rs.1000 or both. The 1976 Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act also provided for similar punishment and fines. What also needs to be underlined is that in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan the burden of proof is on the accused. It shows how much importance has been attached to prevention of cow slaughter so as to have this extraordinary provision in the law. It is so ironical that the women’s movement had to struggle so hard to make this change in law in cases of rape to shift the burden of proof on the accused whereas it finds a place in these state’s laws on cow slaughter without anyone even noticing them.

That prohibition of slaughter of cows, calves and other milch and draught animals finds a place in the Directive Principles of State Policy in our Constitution and that many states in India have a law banning cow slaughter and beef is indicative of a deep seated majoritarian understanding of Indian culture. It shows that the nature of state in India is heavily tilted in a selective understanding of Indian and even Hindu tradition. This questions the whole edifice of secularism and equal respect for all religions in India. The understanding that Hindus stand against cow slaughter or that Hinduism has always shunned and continues to shun beef is a proposition which is deeply contested. It might well be that some castes or groups amongst Hindus revere the cow and find cow slaughter abominable, but this view is not true of all Hindus across India, either today or in the past.

Quite apart from the absurdity of imposing dietary preference of one privileged and powerful group over the rest, there are other compelling reasons to question the ban. The entire meat production industry, from the traditional to the modern, employs and meets livelihood needs of millions of Indians. India’s meat production ranks fifth at 6.3 million tonnes in which share of bovine meat (cow, buffalo, bull) constitutes 62%. Of this, less than a million tones is exported. Thus the rest of it goes to meet the dietary needs of millions of Indians. Thus in banning cow slaughter to appease a minority of Hindus, livelihood needs and therefore right to life of millions of Indians has been put at risk. And in the bargain, it also simultaneously removes cheap high protein diet for hundreds of millions of Indians of every denomination.

These bans which are being extended to cover other cattle as well under an expansive definition of ‘beef’ pose many kinds of problems like for poor farmers who cannot take care of an old cow and because of these bans can no longer sell it to an abattoir. It has serious livelihood ramifications for a large number of families directly and indirectly dependent on cattle trade and related industries like leather, gelatin, animal fat soap industry, pharmaceuticals and meat exports.

It is worth noticing that more than fifty percent of people engaged in meat production and related trade of skin, hides, bones etc are Hindus. And they are beef consumers. To PUDR this ban therefore, is an assault on the right to life which involves livelihood and a diet of their choice, of Hindus, in whose name it has been brought in, as much as the religious minorities. In other words, it limits the dietary preferences of a substantial section of Indian people.

With Haryana and Maharashtra Governments’ pushing cow slaughter ban, not withstanding Goa’s BJP Chief Minister ruling out a cow slaughter ban in Goa, a majoritarian agenda is being promoted. Although, most of the state laws banning cow slaughter were passed by Congress governments, RSS affiliated Hindu right-wing groups are clamoring now for an all India ban on cow slaughter and for the strictest punishment for anyone indulging in it. This opens the door for fanatics to carry out raids, effect arrests and resort to organized violence against Muslims in particular. These laws provide a social and legal sanction to such groups to harass people who transport the cattle for selling, export and other purposes. The Haryana law includes police action against drivers of vehicles transporting beef and the impounding of such vehicles. PUDR’s 2003 report on Dalit Lynching at Dulina (in Jhajjhar district of Haryana) traces the underlying tensions on the issue of cow protection and its threat to some castes traditionally associated with cow slaughter and trading.

In light of all this, PUDR condemns the recent bans on ‘cow’ slaughter, which like many bans/proscriptions on books, literature, scholarship, films can only be understood in the context of right-wing Hindu upsurge in recent times. The ban is an infringement of personal dietary choices with the state having assumed the power to criminalize some of these. It is indeed a cruel irony that the exercise of this basic freedom invites a greater prison term as punishment than a grave criminal offence like rape for which the term is 7 years; or for deaths due to criminal negligence where the prison term is two years.

While it cannot be stressed enough that a democratic strategy is required to contest the upper caste Hindu bias which is reflected in the Constitution with regard to cow slaughter, we acknowledge that issues of cruelty to animals, animal shelters, maintenance of hygienic conditions in abattoirs, effective waste disposal do need attention. The ban is a reminder that we are being served a fait accompli leaving no room for debate/s or reasoned discussion. PUDR therefore denounces the narrow sectarian construction that conceals a much more diverse and complex reality.

Megha Bahl, Sharmila Purkayastha
Secretaries

Haryana Assembly Passes Bill Banning Cow Slaughter, Sale of Beef

by

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade

Chandigarh: The Haryana Assembly on Monday evening unanimously passed a bill under which cow slaughter and the sale of beef have been banned in the state. The new law will also promote conservation and development of indigenous breeds of cows and establish institutions to keep, maintain and take care of the infirm, injured, stray and uneconomic cows.

As per the Haryana ‘Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan’ Bill, 2015, which was passed with two amendments, a person found guilty of cow slaughter can get rigorous imprisonment not less than three years, which may extend upto 10 years along with a fine ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 1 lakh.

Any person who exports cows for slaughter either directly or through somebody can get rigorous imprisonment not less than three years which may extend upto seven years, along with a fine from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 70,000.

However, the killing of a cow in an accident or self-defense will not be considered as slaughter under the Act.

The sale of beef will be completely banned in the state; the offence will be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for not less than three years and upto five years with fine of upto Rs. 50,000.

The government will also establish laboratories for differentiation of beef from that of the meat of other species of animals, and testing and identification of various constituents of milk.

Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar told mediapersons that the previous law was weak and had several loopholes.

“We have come up with a more stringent law… this will enable cow protection and development at the same time,” Mr Khattar said.

The opposition Indian National Lok Dal’s legislator Zakir Hussain said he had suggested a couple of amendments but the government has accepted only one.

“There should have been a provision for transport of cows within the state to avoid harassment of transporters, also similar punishment should be in place for corrupt officials who are found involved in beef trade. Government has accepted the latter suggestion,” Mr Hussain said.

(IANS)

Holy cow-beef and Indian political games

by

A group of lawyers in Chennai staging a ‘beef eating’ protest in the Madras High Court campus, in the wake of ban on cow slaughter by Maharashtra Government.

A group of lawyers in Chennai staging a ‘beef eating’ protest in the Madras High Court campus, in the wake of ban on cow slaughter by Maharashtra Government.

Can the dietary practices, the animal which is worshipped as a mother by section of population, be brought in on the political arena? While all this sounds surreal, its true as far as the role of cow is there in Indian political firmament. Recently Maharashtra Government got the Presidents assent to the bill “Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill 1995 which will now ban the slaughter of bulls and bullocks as well. The defaulters will face a prison term of five years and a fine of Rs. 10000. When I first read ‘Animal Preservation’ part of the title of the bill, I thought this is some bill related to all the animals which are used for human consumption or deals with the use of animals for different purposes by the society. Contrary to that it turned out that this applies only to Cow and its progeny. A decade ago I was shocked to read that one of the outstanding scholars of ancient Indian History Professor Dwijendra Nath Jha received regular threats on phone telling him not to publish his book, ‘Holy Cow Beef in Indian Dietary tradition’. This scholarly work traces the place of beef in Indian diet from centuries.

The idea is to target the minorities for beef eating, and cow slaughter. One recalls that one of the slogans which rent the air in the run up the 2014 General elections was “Modi ko matdan, gai ko jeevadan [Vote for Modi, give life to the cow], BJP ka sandesh, bachegi gai, bachega desh [BJP’s message, the cow will be saved, the country will be saved]”. This slogan was propped up ‘Cow Development Cell’ of BJP.

As such emotive-identity issues are the hall mark of the politics in the name of religion. BJP built itself up on another identity issue, that of Ram Temple. The cow has always been accompanying and a parallel issue for political mobilization by RSS-BJP. It has also been the point of triggering violence in many cases all through. With the formation of VHP by RSS in 1964, cow issue has been systematically propped up time and over again. Many a misconceptions about cow, beef eating have been constructed. Building of misconceptions has also been extended to the dietary habits of the ‘Muslim’ community in particular. The profession of section of Muslims, Kasai (butcher), those in the trade of beef selling has been brought in to the ‘Hate other’, ‘social common sense’ in particular. The result being that it is perceived at broad layers of society as if beef eating is compulsory for Muslims. The notion which has been popularized is that Cow is Holy for Hindus: Muslims kill her! The perception is that the Muslim invaders brought beef eating into India. These misconceptions are by now the part of ‘social common sense’ of the large number of people in the society.

All the components of this are myths and stereotypes have been constructed over a period of time. Time and over again one hears about some small communal violence, killing of dalits and traders of cows leading to communal polarization. Many a dalits dealing with cow hide have been killed in places like Gohana in Hariyana and the VHP leaders had justified such acts.

Contrary to this the beef eating and sacrifice of cows was prevalent here from Vedic period. The sacrifice of cows in the Yagnas (ritual around fire) is extensively mentioned in the scriptures. There is mention about beef eating in various books. There is a phrase in Taitreya Brahmin which states ‘Atho Annam Via Gau’ (Cow is in veritably food) Different gods are mentioned to be having their choices for particular type of cow flesh. Prof D. N. Jha quotes innumerable examples of this in his masterpiece.

The preaching of non violence in India came with the rise of agricultural society. Jainism called for total non violence, while Buddhism talked non-violence; preventing of wasteful animal sacrifice in particular. It was much later that Brahmanism picked up cow as a symbol for Brahmanism in response and as a reaction to non-violence of these religions. Since Brahmanism has asserted itself to be the Hinduism it projects as if Cow is holy for Hindus overall. The matter of fact is that many sections of society, more particularly Dalits and Tribal have been eating beef all through. It is another matter that lately with the rising assertion of Hindutva, many a communities which are dependent on beef as a rich and cheap source of protein are gradually being forced to either give it up or do a rethink on that.

In contrast to what is being asserted by BJP and company, Swami Vivekanand had a different take on the issue. He points out speaking to a large gathering in USA said: “You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions he must sacrifice a bull and eat it.”

[Vivekananda speaking at the Shakespeare Club, Pasadena, California, USA (2 February 1900) on the theme of ‘Buddhistic India’, cited in Swami Vivekananda, The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol 3 (Calcutta: Advaita Ashram, 1997), p. 536.]
This is corroborated by other research works sponsored by the Ramakrishna Mission established by Swami Vivekananda himself. One of these reads: “The Vedic Aryans, including the Brahmanas, ate fish, meat and even beef. A distinguished guest was honoured with beef served at a meal. Although the Vedic Aryans ate beef, milch cows were not killed. One of the words that designated cow was aghnya (what shall not be killed). But a guest was a goghna (one for whom a cow is killed). It is only bulls, barren cows and calves that were killed.”[C. Kunhan Raja, ‘Vedic Culture’, cited in the series, Suniti Kumar Chatterji and others (eds.), The Cultural Heritage of India, Vol 1 (Calcutta: The Ramakrishna Mission, 1993), 217.]

In response to this bill thousands of workers of Devnar abattoir (Mumbai), who will be losing their jobs came on the streets to protest against this move of the government (March 11). Many traders, from different religion also came to Azad Maidan in Mumbai to protest this communal act of the Maharashtra Government. In a PIL filed in the Bombay High Court the petitioner argues that this ban on beef infringes on the fundamental right of citizens to choose meat of their choice is fundamental. The hope is that the society overcomes such abuse of ‘identity issues’ for political goals and lets the people have their own choices in matters of food habits, and let those who are making their living from this trade do so peacefully.

 

Beef banned in Maharashtra, receives President's assent

by

The slaughter of cows was previously prohibited in the state under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act of 1976. Photo: IE

The slaughter of cows was previously prohibited in the state under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act of 1976. Photo: IE

Mumbai: The bill banning cow slaughter in Maharashtra, pending for several years, on Monday received the President’s assent, which means red meat lovers in the state will have to do without beef.

This measure has taken almost twenty years to materialize and was initiated during the previous Sena-BJP government.The bill was  first submitted to the President for approval on January 30, 1996. However, subsequent governments at the Centre, including the BJP led NDA stalled it and did not seek the President’s consent.

A delegation of seven state BJP MPs led by Kirit Somaiya, (MP from Mumbai North) had met the President in New Delhi recently and submitted a memorandum seeking assent to the bill. The memorandum said that the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995, passed during the previous Shiv Sena-BJP regime, was pending for approval for 19 years.

“Thanks a lot honourable President sir for the assent on Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill. Our dream of ban on cow-slaughter becomes reality now,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Twitter. A delegation of seven state BJP MPs had met the President recently and submitted a memorandum.

The law will ban beef from the slaughter of bulls and bullocks, which was previously allowed based on a fit-for-slaughter certificate, according to The Indian Express. The new Act will, however, allow the slaughter of water buffaloes.

The punishment for the sale of beef or possession of it could be prison for five years with an additional fine of Rs 10,000. “Apart from rendering people jobless, the immediate effect will be the spiralling price of other meats as people will be forced to gravitate to them,” Indian Express quoted president of the Mumbai Suburban Beef Dealer Association Mohammed Qureshi as saying.

Reuters had earlier reported that Hindu nationalists in India had stepped up attacks on the country’s beef industry, seizing trucks with cattle bound for abattoirs and blockading meat processing plants in a bid to halt the trade in the world’s second-biggest exporter of beef.

An official at a beef transport group in Maharashtra state said around 10 vehicles travelling to Mumbai had been stopped in the last week of February, the animals taken forcefully and drivers beaten up by members of Hindu nationalist groups despite carrying valid documents.

However, a BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari told The Hindu that the party’s efforts to seek a ban on slaughter of calves should not be viewed with a communal lens but keeping in mind the “interests of agrarian communities.

 (With inputs from Reuters)

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives