Historic! Assam passes cattle protection bill, bans sale of beef within 5 km radius of any temple

Guwahati, August 14 : Joining the other states like Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, Assam too passed a 'Cattle Preservation Bill' in the assembly on Friday. The bill prohibits the slaughter or sale of beef within a 5 km radius of any temple.

As soon as the Speaker Biswajit Daimary passed the 'Cattle Preservation Bill’ presented by the Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, ruling BJP members shouted ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogans.

 

While presenting the bill, Sharma said, “We are stressing on a few things – transportation ban of beef across the border, ban of beef around 5 km of a temple or Hindu religious place (satras), etc. Protection of cattle is a scientific argument and does not have a religious one.” Sarma said that the earlier Cattle Preservation Act of 1950 lacked sufficient legal provisions in order to regulate the consumption and transportation of cattle.

 

 

During the session, Opposition Congress, AIUDF, and CPI (M) proposed at least 75 amendments and asked the government to refer the bill to an Assembly select committee for further discussion, however, Sarma rejected the proposal. In protest, the Opposition walked out after which the Bill was passed by voice vote.

As per the provisions of this Bill, which proposes to "regulate slaughter, consumption & transportation of cattle", the Cows would be allowed to be slaughtered only with Government's prior permission and that too, only in licensed slaughterhouses.

 

 

The proposed law also prohibits the interstate transport of cattle to and from, as well as through Assam without valid documents. Unlike anti-slaughter laws already in place in the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh which include only cow progeny and not buffaloes, this bill does not distinguish between cattle types. The bill applied to all cattle, including bulls, bullocks, cows, heifer, calves, male and female buffaloes, and buffalo calves. 

 

"I'm sure this will deal a heavy blow to the illegal cattle trade & transit through Assam, ensuring due care of cattle as practiced in our tradition for ages," Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

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