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CATTLE
IN INDIAN ECONOMY
- Babubbai J. Patel (
Ex. Chief Minister of Gujarat )
Though latest figures are not
readily available, the data that is accessible indicates the
trend of decreasing population of bullocks used for work only,
in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Pondichery in 19n compared to
1972. The decrease in these States is, of about 6,92,000
working bullocks. After 19n the trend is towards greater a slaughter
than before. This is reflected in the figures of
export of meat and skins. The export of meat has risen from
about 2000 tons in 1973-74 to about 42000 tons in 1979-80 a
rise of some 2000 percent in 6 years. The export of hides and
skin was worth 28 crores of rupees in 1965-66. It went up to
425 crores of rupees by 1979-80 a rise of over 1400 percent in
14 years. If the latest date were available more staggering .
figures would have convinced anybody ab9ut the alarming
situation.
This certainly indicates that
the State has failed to preserve these breeds and prohibit
the slaughter of useful animals, as expected under article 48
of the Constitution of India.
The fears expressed by the
Supreme Court in respect of the Cow have come true in respect
of the bullocks, which are maimed and made prematurely useless
so that they can be slaughtered without hitch. Unauthorized slaughter also goes on increasing. The Supreme Court estimated
the annual slaughter of at least 50,000 high yielding cows and
buffaloes from the cities of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras alone
prematurely.
In view of the earlier
observations of the Supreme Court regarding high yielding cows
and buffaloes, and the recent alarmingly rising trend of
slaughter of very useful breeds and the heavy economic
national loss involved in this process, and the urgent need to
take immediate steps to prevent the economic catastrophe
envisaged in the butchery of useful
animals a complete ban on
slaughter of all animals of all ages that are useful for milk
or draught purposes at any stage need to be imposed immediately
and these animals the mainstay of our economy,
saved from slaughter completely. A complete ban on the
slaughter of cows and their progency as envisaged by article
48 of the constitution is imperative to observe the spirit of
the article, to preserve and improve the breed, failing which
we will have to face disastrous consequences as a result of
decrease in agricultural produce qualitatively and
quantitatively and loss of rich protein diet in the form of
milk and face the aggravation of fuel shortage and unbearable
burden on our foreign exchange resources.
It may
be pointed out here that there is a sound case for the
revision of the judgment of the Supreme Court which permits
the slaughter of some useless animals resulting in a gross
abuse of the latitude the entailing disastrous economic
consequences for the country. Such a revisions will be consistent
with the observations of the Supreme Court itself
which has discussed this point at length and come to the
conclusion that the cow and her progency are the backbone of
Indian agriculture.
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