Days after a Maharashtra bill banning beef got Presidential assent, traders association of the red meat have come out strongly against the BJP-led state government, accusing it of “snatching” their livelihood for the sake of “vote bank politics”.
“It is the duty of every government in the world to provide employment to its citizens. But this government has taken away our source of livelihood. Business that has been developed through generations has been destroyed in an instant only because of vote bank politics,” said Beef Traders’ Association President Abdul Qureshi.
Though the slaughter of cows was previously prohibited in the state under the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act of 1976, the passage of the new Act will ban the slaughter of bulls as well as bullocks, which was previously allowed based on a fit-for-slaughter certificate. The Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Bill, 1995 received assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on March 2.
Related read: Maharashtra bans cow slaughter; 5 years jail for possession or sale of beef
Maharashtra’s contribution to the country’s buffalo meat market is about 25%, with more than 1,000 animals being slaughtered daily in Pune district. Each animal provides an average 200 kgs of meat.
“What does the government expect us to do now? How do we sustain our families? We should at least be allowed to slaughter the cattle that we already have so that we do not incur losses on our invested money,” he said.
Last month, beef traders had gone on an indefinite strike to protest against right-wing groups which were allegedly seizing their cattle.
via NorthEast Calling http://ift.tt/1NlAGNz
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