Tamil Nadu - Erode   

Slaughter: cattle population in Thalavady hills under threat

PHOTO: M. GOVARTHAN

pathetic end: The Tamil Nadu law on transporting animals says they should not be dumped in vehicles and that there should be enough space in the vehicle. –

ERODE: This Mattu Pongal there is something serious to ponder over: cattle population in Thalavady hills is under threat.

Their number is dwindling and fast at that, thanks to the large-scale diversion for slaughter.

But that is just one of the concerns. The cattle in the hill is important also because it is unique to the region in that it is of a different breed.

It yields very little milk, but still plays an important role in the lives of farmers, who use the dung as manure, ox to plough land and milk and ghee (clarified butter) for domestic consumption.

The cattle diversion for slaughter takes place every week, after the animal fair in Terakanambi in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka.

The cattle sold at the fair are walked down to Thalavady in Tamil Nadu via Arulvady, and Mettlavady, dumped in lorries there and taken to Sathyamangalam via Thalamalai, bypassing the Karnataka Government’s check post in Hassanur.

This is because the Karnataka Government, unlike Tamil Nadu, has banned the sale of animals for slaughter.

Section 8 of The Karnataka Prevention of Cow Slaughter and Cattle Preservation Act, 1964 says: “No person shall transport or offer for transport or cause to be transported any animal or cow from any place within the State to any place outside the State, for the purpose of its slaughter in contravention of the provision of this Act, or with the knowledge that it will be or is likely to be, so slaughtered.”

Tamil Nadu Government, however, places no such restriction. While allowing for transport of animals it calls for doing it with care.

The Tamil Nadu law on transporting animals says they should not be dumped in vehicles and that there should be enough space in the vehicle. But none of this happens.

With complete impunity, animals are dumped in Thalavady and taken through Sathyamangalam to Kerala, where it is slaughtered.

Every week this happens and in hundreds. And this has angered the hill residents, majority of who are Lingayats and worship cow.

An elected representative in the hills told The Hindu that transport of the animal they worship for slaughter has angered and pained the community, which wants the two governments to put an end to it.

In response to the people’s demand, Deputy Commissioner (Collector), Chamrajanagar, Manoj Kumar Meena, says he will look into the problem and initiate necessary action.

The community protest aside, there is a sound economic reason as well for wanting to stop the cattle movement.

Farmers in the hills solely depend on the ox for tilling land and cattle dung for manure. If the cattle movement continues, the farmers will be left with no manure, which will force them to embrace fertilizers, for which they will have to spend money.

They will also be compelled to employ tractors, both of which will increase cultivation cost and land the farmers in debt, says Project Office, MYRADA-KVK, P. Alagesan.

Besides, the native breed’s milk will give the necessary immunity to the hill people, which they will be deprived of if the animals are sold.

Calling for a holistic approach to the issue, he says the animal is part and parcel of the hill agriculture and reduction in its number will bring down agriculture and also many lives.

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