Stating that the new Act which bars cattle trade in the cattle market for slaughtering would prove draconian for the rural economy, Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha has demanded the withdrawal of the law.
In a release here, the sangha said that the law brings all livestock, including chicken and camel, under its ambit which was grossly unscientific and anti-farmer.
Stating that agriculture, dairy farming and tannery industry were all inter-connected forming a part of rural economy, the release said that the law completely destroys this chain in the name of protecting animals from slaughter.
The release said that if the law was implemented, then farmers would not be in a position to sell their unproductive cattle which will help them get some money to buy new cattle.
Unproductive cattle were sold to slaughterhouses from where beef was sent to the retail market and hide supplied to the tannery industry which provides employment to many and also brings revenue to the government, it added.
The release said that farmers were in distress owing to natural calamities such as drought and floods, and cattle trade and dairy farming was the best alternative for them to survive during crises.
In such a situation, if the government comes up with a law that aims at killing this alternative earning, then the crises in the farming sector would only escalate.
The release said that if cattle were slaughtered, then it would create natural imbalance with the government having to manage them by spending tax payers money. The spending would neither bring any returns to farmers nor to the government, the release said.
The release said that many people who have not read the new Act clearly believe that it was aimed at only protecting cows, but in reality, the law would severely damage the rural economy which largely depends on cattle and their trade.
The release said that on the one hand the law would be an affront to the eating habits of a section of the people, while on the other it would create communal tension in the country.
The release demanded that the law be immediately withdrawn.
