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CATTLE
IN INDIAN ECONOMY
- Babubbai J. Patel (
Ex. Chief Minister of Gujarat )
"As slaughter is not
confined to registered slaughter houses, the number of useful
animals which are slaughtered cannot be given accurately. It
is estimated that at least 50,000 high yielding cows and she
buffaloes from cities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras alone are
sent annually for premature slaughter and are lost to the
country. The causes of slaughter of useful cattle are lack of
space in the cities and suburban areas, long dry period, want
of arrangement for breeding bulls at the proper time, the
anxiety to get as much milk out of the cow as possible, the
h1gh cost of maintenance, and of obtaining adequate fodder.
For these reasons many animals are sent to the slaughter house
through sheer economic pressure and are replaced by fresh
animals imported from breeding areas. The danger of such
premature slaughter is greater for the cow, for being an
animal with a scanty yield of milk it does not pay the owner
to maintain her through the long dry period and hence there is
inducement for adopting even cruel practices to get her passed
by the inspectors". Considering all these factors the
court says that
"regulation of slaughter of animals above a specified age
may not be quite adequate protection for the cow -these
considerations induce us to make an exception even in favour
of the old and decrepit cows".
The Supreme Court Decides :
We have reached the
conclusion that
(1) a total ban on. the
slaughter of cows of all ages and calves of cows and calves of
she buffaloes, male and female is quite reasonable and valid
and is, in consonance with the directive principles laid down
in article 48,
(2) a total ban on slaughter of she
buffaloes or breeding bulls or working bullocks (cattle
as well as buffaloes) as long as they are as milch pr draught
cattle is also reasonable and valid and
(3) a total ban on the
slaughter of she buffaloes, bulls and bullocks (cattle or
buffaloes) after they cease to be capable of yielding milk or
of breeding .or working as draught animals cannot be supported
as reasonable in the interest of the general public".
Thus the supreme court has
laid stress on the economic role of cows,
buffaloes, bullocks etc and their great beneficial impact on
human health, agricultural produce and energy needs.
Our milch cows and buffaloes
numbering about 3,71,04,000 produce about 33 million tons of milk per year worth over Rs. 66,00 crores. Our
bullocks numbering about 7 crores along with 80 lacs of he
buffaloes, 10 lacs of horses and 10 lacs of camels each
providing about 112 horse power equivalent to 318 kilowatt of
energy provide about 30,000 megawatts of energy equivalent to
the total installed generating capacity of India at present.
In 1geo-81 power generation was of the order of 111.6 billion
units. It would be worth about 50 billion rupees-at 45 paise
per unit. 30,000 megawatts installed capacity would require an
investment of about 300 billion rupees. Our 7 crore bullocks
would be worth about 100 billion rupees. The generation of
power would require expensive fuel. Bullocks could be
maintained largely through agricultural wastes and by
products. Thus with 113 investment and less cost of generation
the bullocks contribute about 50 billion rupees worth of
energy every year. The energy provided by the bullock power is
useful in working about 40 million bullock driven ploughs and
about 15 million bullock carts besides fetching water for
irrigation where electric or diesel pumps are not installed,
and 1 performing sundry other jobs. >>>
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