Guwahati: The budget session of Assam legislative assembly begun on Monday and on the first day itself State chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma tabled a bill to protect the cattle (read cows, bulls, buffaloes, etc) in the State. If passed in the assembly, the legislation would prevent the transportation of cattle from Assam to other States and vice versa.
Under the legislation though the practice of beef eating is not prohibited but it has been restricted in various localities with majority population of Hindus, Jains and Sikhs (precisely non-beef-eating communities). Moreover, the slaughtering of cows and sale of beef is prohibited in adjacent areas to temple, satra and other institutions pronounced by the authorities.
Moreover, the slaughtering of cows will need a specific permission from the competent authority in a particular locality. The slaughter houses will also be licensed. However, carrying cows for agricultural purposes within a district and also transporting cattle to and from the registered animal markets in a district will be exempted from the prohibition.
Assam Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 emerges very important for the BJP led State government in Dispur as the saffron leaders promised to prevent cow smuggling to Bangladesh. However, it may create troubles for the neighbouring States like Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram, where the majority Christian residents eat beef extensively and cattle reach those States through Assam only.
Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma has already raised voices against the move. He threatened to seek interventions of the Union government in New Delhi over the matter as the new legislation would impact the economy of Meghalaya with restricted meat (cow) supply from West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, etc.
