Ban on Cow slaughter

We may not expect a question on this topic, yet some input arguments for an unexpected question are as follows:

Support:

• Cattle, the main source of livelihood for farmers, should not have such a painful end.
• There must be an acknowledgement of the role of livestock in our economy and society.
• Mahatma Gandhi said “the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.
• With the number of indigenous cows declining and the disappearance of local breeds, a ban on cow slaughter is indispensable.
• There is a great demand for cattle products, especially desi breeds, because of the growing popularity of Ayurveda and organic farming.
• Cows of Indian breed, or desi cows, are known to have high medicinal value when compared to foreign breeds.
• With the importance being given to organic farming, desi cow dung can be used to produce organic fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and insecticides in ways that are economical.

Against:

• Incidentally, there’s no ban on cow slaughter in our ancient religious texts, so even a ban on cow slaughter on religious grounds is unreasonable.
• This is mere political decision, instead of ban there must be strict regulation.
• Due to advances in agricultural and cattle breeding technologies, farmers find it uneconomical to retain animals that are redundant and unproductive.
• Large section of the population below the poverty line has beef as a staple.
• The government does not appear to be looking at the problem of insolvency that the leather industry might face.
• Nutritionists say that animal protein yields better height, stronger muscles, a fact often suggested as a solution to counter India’s malnutrition problem.
• Beef is a source of inexpensive protein.
• As cattle get older, slaughtering is a passable way of managing them or else they are usually abandoned.
• Europe withdraws slaughter after medical science proved that cutting jugular veins and carotid arteries with a sharp knife is not painful.
• The number of cattle reared for agricultural activities such as ploughing or even for milk production is minuscule.
• Cattle grazing is one of the main reasons for the degradation of our forests. The ban will render cattle rearing unviable.
• Beef remains a preferred food item of Dalits, tribals, some minorities, the OBCs as well as the younger generation.
• If the ‘sale-to slaughter- house’ option is banned, farmers will slowly give up rearing cattle & may will end up endangering their numbers in the long run.
• Why cannot a secular state that guarantees religious freedom for all ensure that citizens are allowed their own choice of food?
• While stopping animal slaughter in general is good, the focus on banning cow slaughter is flawed.
• First; the government of the day does not seem to have a plan of providing alternative job opportunities for those involved in this practice — slaughtering, meat marketing, etc.
• Second, Indian agriculture has limited involvement of animals in different agricultural activities.
• Current generation does not have a place for animals. A decade ago, feeding animals was done as a ritual. Today, no one bothers about this.
• Abandoned cows mostly forage on garbage and ingesting plastic waste & this will exaggerated.
• Implementing restrictions on consuming meats of any kind is meaningless unless there is a total ban on slaughter.
• The government has no right to enter the kitchen of a citizen and advise him on what he should or should not eat.
• If it is the idea of the government that vegetarianism should be promoted on health grounds, then it should ban all meat, and also fish.
• The beef ban appears to be nothing but a blatant attempt to promote a right-wing agenda.
• For the poor, beef is the only affordable red meat.
• The ban is unfortunate and politically motivated and will destroy the economy of thousands of families who depend on it for their livelihood.