KOCHI: A day after the Centre banned the sale of cattle for slaughter at animal markets across the country, protests erupted in the city and its suburbs, with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) taking the lead in organising close to 15 beef fests.
The Centre had on Friday issued a notification, titled the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, under which those who wish to sell cattle — bulls, cows, buffaloes, steers, heifers, and camels — may do so only after they formally state that the animals have not been “brought to the market for sale for slaughter”.
Fests were organised at SFI area centres and on university campuses. The string of beef fests started off with one in front of the Town Hall. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the fest. CPI(M) district secretary P. Rajeev and SFI district secretary V.M. Junaid were present. Students of Government Law College and Maharaja’s College participated in the event, which was organised by the SFI Ernakulam Area Committee.
Innocent, MP, inaugurated a similar fest in front of Yathri Nivas at Perumbavoor. Inaugurating the beef fest at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), M. Swaraj, MLA, hailed the protest against a “draconian” step by the Union government, which interfered with inalienable right of the people to choose food. Eldho Abraham, MLA, was the chief guest. SFI Cusat unit secretary Sajad Chemmukkan presided. Cusat student’s union chairman Sreejesh was present.
Youth Congress block committee organised the fest by serving beef and paratha on plantain leaves in front of the district committee office of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The activists marched to the office at Pallimukku carrying the effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stapled with an image of a buffalo around 11 a.m. They later set the effigy on fire.
Inaugurating the event, Youth Congress leader Tito Antony described the BJP as an impostor and sought its isolation. Youth Congress block president Tibin Devassy presided.
SFI district president Nikhil Babu inaugurated the fest at UC College, Aluva. Similar fests were organised at Statue Junction, Thripunithura, Kolencherry, Koothattukulam, Piravom, Kacherithaazham in Muvattupuzha, Kothamangalam, Kalady, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Puliyanam near Nedumbassery, and Kongorpilly in Alangad.
