Centre bans cow slaughter across India; cows can be sold only to farmers

The central government has banned the sale of cattle for slaughter and has allowed it's trade only among farm land owners across India in a new regulation for animal trade.

The first central regulation for cow protection in the name of animal welfare notified on Thursday is significant considering rising cases of violence against cow traders, mostly Muslims, by Hindu vigilante groups.

A Haryana-based dairy farmer Pehlu Khan was assaulted on April 1 in Rajasthan by a cow protection group leading to his death four days later. A month ago two cow traders in Assam were lynched on suspicion of transporting cows for slaughter.

Cow slaughter is banned in states except in most parts of north-east India and Kerala.

"Take an undertaking that the animals are bought for agriculture purposes and not for slaughter," says the special section for cattle in the rule notified under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

The proviso also says that cattle bought cannot be resold within six



months impinging the business of cow traders.

Cattle can be sold only to a person having documents to prove he is an "agriculturist", the rule says, adding "young" and "unfit animals" cannot be sold.

Tightening screws further, the environment ministry's eight-page rule bans setting of animal markets within 50 km of an international border and 25 km of a state border. Taking animal outside the state will require special approval of the state government nominee.

No animal market will now be able to run without approval of district animal market committee to be headed by a magistrate and having two representatives of government-approved animal welfare groups.

Most states in India have weekly animal markets and many of them in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Maharashtra operate near borders to attract traders from neighbouring states.

The rules, to be implemented in next three months, introduce lot of paper work for cow traders who are mostly poor and illiterate.