Those who framed rules have not consulted farmers: A Manju

Bengaluru: Central government’s ban on cattle trade has become a hot topic for discussion. Many protests opposing the ban have taken the violent shape too. What is Karnataka’s stand? Will it take the legal route to fight the ban in courts?

In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju stated that central government's curb on cattle trade under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (regulation of livestock markets) Rules, 2017 is 'anti-farmer'. He termed it as one of BJP’s blunder like demonetisation and added that state will not mind approaching courts to get the ban revoked.

Centre has banned cattle trade for slaughter. What is your reaction to the ban?
On lines with demonetisation, this act by the Union Government is another blunder. BJP government just completed its third anniversary. What does it have in its performance card to show to the public? It came to power assuring of creating one crore jobs. What’s the reality? Only four lakh jobs have been created. It made tall claims of unearthing huge sums of unaccounted money by demonetisation. But the move was a disaster and did not help in any way. The ban is anti-farmer and will lead to many other consequences which the central government has not gauged.

Why is the ban anti-farmer and how will this cattle trade affect farmers?
Let me answer this question by being a member of the farmer community who owns cattle. A farmer knows much better than anyone else on how to take care of his cattle. For occasions like Makara Sankranti and Deepavali, horns of cattle’s are trimmed and painted, which the new rule bans. Also how can we milk the cows if we do not tie its horns?

Farmers should have been considered before introducing such laws. It just indicates that the rule has been framed by people who just use the byproducts of cattle like milk, ghee and gomutra and do not know how to handle it.

Forget the farmers. This new order violates the basic constitutional rights of a person imposing a forceful ban on what he chooses to eat.

Can you list out some of the consequences of this ban?
According to the order there is a ban on sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets or fairs. Farmers will always prefer to sell their cattle at markets as the trade is based on a competitive price. This rule will provide an opportunity for buyers to exploit the farmer’s distress by not offering a competitive price pushing them into debt trap.

Many farmers are not in a position to feed their cattle. For a single cattle a farmer needs anywhere between Rs 75-100 every single day. Farmers who cannot feed their cattle will let them loose. Such cattles may stray into agricultural fields in the villages and create problem for others. Then the governments may have to open goshalas in every gram panchayat to maintain abandoned cattle. Meat and leather industry will be drastically affected due to this.

What is your next course of action? Will Karnataka take the legal route and fight the notification?
Ours is a federal structure. All state governments should have been consulted before notification. We will certainly take a decision in the interest of the farmers. 

If that demands a legal route, we do not care taking that route and safe guarding our farmers. Cabinet meeting has been called on this regard and we shall take a decision on this soon.