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.
Originally written on
November 5, 2016
and last modified on
November 5, 2016.
