Cow politics

 Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has re-emphasised an already existing cow protection bill 1950 but with far reaching changes. Himanta tabled the Assam Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021, which besides primarily seeks to ban interstate transport of cows through Assam in order to control their smuggling to neighbouring Bangladesh. For the reverential love of the cow, the protection bill 2021 is also far reaching as, unlike the 1950 bill, it seeks to ban consumption of beef. What has also raised concerns among other north eastern states over the cow protection bill 2021 is its aim to stop the transport of cattle from any place within Assam to places outside the state “where slaughter of cattle is not regulated by law”. As of today, only Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram have no laws prohibiting cow slaughter. West Bengal allows it in case of old or unfit cows after the acquisition of “fit for slaughter” certificate. Assam is the main gateway to the northeast region and apart from cattle all other goods coming from other parts of the country enter through the state. The cow protection Bill is likely to affect supply in several states in the region where beef is consumed. While Nagaland and Mizoram have not reacted yet to Assam’s legislation, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma said that it will take up the issue with Centre if the new law affects supply of beef to the state. Under the veil of cow protection, the bill acts collaterally on tribals in the north east including Buddhists even though it is primarily aimed against Bangladesh. The genesis of the problem lies in the paranoia created around cow slaughter by India’s ruling party and its supporters. Incidentally, even Lakshadweep with a predominant Muslim population has prepared the draft Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, 2021, that imposes a minimum punishment of seven years in jail for selling or buying beef products. It may be mentioned that even though Mahatma Gandhi was a devout Hindu, he did not support majoritarianism. In 1947, Mahatma Gandhi wrote in the Harijan :”… an emotional wave is sweeping the country, in order to secure legislation prohibiting the slaughter of cows within the Union. Let us at the outset realise that cow worship in the religious sense is largely confined to Gujarat, Marwar, the United Provinces and Bihar. It is obviously wrong legally to enforce one’s religious practice on those who do not share that religion…” The anti-cow slaughter issue has been raised to high levels after 2014. It has even led to deaths of many people, mostly innocent, suspected of transporting cows or even eating beef. Also, after 2014 the number of stray cattle in India is around 60 lakhs.Cattle are used for ploughing field and milking and when they cross a certain age, they become useless. Earlier, farmers sold such old cows and used the money to buy new ones. However after the ban and enforcement by cow vigilantes, cows are left abandoned. Thousands of cows die of starvation and disease while those who revere the cow don’t even bother. So much for the love of a cow.