All hat and no cattle

Objections to the new cattle business policy are not justified

At a time when concerns about the injudicious cattle trading policy of last year were allayed with the release of its suitably amended version for public comments, Union minister Maneka Gandhi, who is also an animal rights activist, has thrown a spanner in the works by raising objections, some of which are not entirely indisputable. The modifications in the policy were necessitated as the trading rules notified in May 2017 virtually barred the sale and purchase of cattle from animal mandis for slaughtering. It bode ill for the country’s vibrant livestock sector that has made India the world’s largest producer of milk and a major exporter of buffalo meat. It had also dismayed farmers who keep livestock to supplement their incomes. Most state governments criticised the policy, challenging the Centre’s power to intervene in the animal husbandry sector, which fell in the states’ domain. The Madras High Court was quick to issue a stay order on its enforcement that was subsequently extended to all over the country by the Supreme Court.

The most controversial aspect of the May 2017 notification was the imprudent definition of cattle for trade ban that, for inexplicable reasons included buffaloes, bulls, bullocks, steers (neutered male animals), heifers, calves and camels, apart from cows. It had, therefore, virtually debarred procurement of all kinds of animals for slaughtering from regular marketing channels without explicitly banning the killing of animals. Another contentious provision forbade establishing livestock markets close to state and international borders. The new draft of the cattle business policy — termed sensibly as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Market) Rules, 2018, to stay clear of the law — has done away with, or appropriately diluted, most of the controversial provisions of the earlier notification. Besides deleting the definition of cattle, it has omitted any reference to other contentious matters such as inspectors, fractious animals or poultry.

While all stakeholders in the livestock sector have welcomed the mooted policy framework, Ms Gandhi has dubbed it as vague and unimplementable. A missive sent by her to the environment ministry has questioned the sagacity of keeping the term cattle unclear and leaving out any mention of inspectors. In reality, the new rules practically restore the status quo in the animal husbandry sector as it existed prior to the notification of May 2017 but without compromising on the need to stop ill-treatment of animals. It also does not leave animal markets totally unregulated. The new policy specifically prohibits malpractices such as branding of animals for identification; shearing of horns; reshaping the teeth of horses to make them look younger; and throwing animals on hard ground without straw bedding while fitting shoes on their hooves. The use of steroids, diuretics, antibiotics and oxytocin, whose residue is harmful to human health, has also been barred except on a veterinary doctor's prescription. Setting up of committees of experts has been mooted to oversee animal markets. These panels will certify the maximum animal holding capacity of cattle mandisand ensure that these have proper arrangements for water supply, lighting, food and feed. As such, unless Ms Gandhi can point to other valid objections, the mooted new policy draft need not be tampered with.