Cow slaughter ban: Cattle dying of thirst and hunger in Maharashtra

April 9, 2016

Osmanabad: Over the last six months, Laxman Ritapure lost ten of his cattle. Four cows, four bullocks and two calves. As Marathwada's searing drought lengthened into a second year, he ran out of water and fodder to feed them.cow-cattle

In this parched eight-district region where the drought has affected every single village, the beef ban which was enacted a year ago has come as a double whammy for farmers like Ritapure.

The new law extended Maharashtra's ban on cow slaughter to include bullocks. This cut off demand from abattoirs and paralysed trade at cattle markets. Soon, there was a steep price crash. "I took them to the cattle market last year but prices had halved. I tried to sell them again in January but there were no takers," says Ritapure.

He still 26 cattle left to feed. With just one acre to his name, Ritapure had bought ten animals seven years ago. The brood grew over the years. Ritapure now spends Rs 2,000 a week on fodder. The money he earns from selling milk just about covers this.

"If the government banned beef to save cows, it should look after them too," he says bitterly. Having raised the animals himself, losing them is particularly painful. "They are like my children. I would rather go without food myself than see them die," he says.

His neighbours have also lost their cattle in the last few months. Melon farmer Kiran Kale has lost one of his seven cattle. Suryakant Konde has lost a cow and a calf. "During the day, I just release my buffalo and calves. They graze on what they can find," says Konde, who has a three-acre field. The government is helping to fund 333 cattle camps set up in the region by private groups and NGOs, where water and fodder is given free.

As many as 3.2 lakh cattle in Marathwada are housed in the camps located in the worst-affected districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad.

For farmers desperate to save their livestock, the cattle camps are a life-line. But Mangrul's villagers say the nearest camp is five km away and difficult for them to access.

Farmers have to stay at the camp to look after their animals. But most camps don't provide bathing facilities or food for these care-takers. "I will have to travel home every day. Who can afford to spend Rs 50 a day on transport?" asks Ritapure.

"We do not run the camps," says Osmanabad collector Prashant Narnaware. "We approve applications from individuals or NGOs. We give them Rs 70 per animal per day from the National Disaster Relief Fund."

The majority of cattle camps are run by local politicians, including many who plan to stand for the zilla parishad elections next year.

The BJP's Santosh Hange, a member of the Beed zilla parishad and an aide of rural development minister Pankaja Munde runs a cattle camp at Nandurghat in Kaij Taluka. Hange plans to stand for the zilla parishad polls and is acutely aware that the camp will endear him to his electorate. "I am helping them during a crisis. They will remember me," he points out.

In camps that provide food and water for the farmers tending to cattle, entire families have moved in.

"There is more water for us here than in our own village," says dairy farmer Bharat Baglani who has been living at Shiv Sangram politician Rajendra Mhaske's cattle camp in Beed for the last eight months.

Comments

Sameer Kandak
 - 
Sunday, 10 Apr 2016

Better to trade all these cow to baba pathanjali , he can utilize for his low standard items like milk , butter & ghee etc etc

A message
 - 
Saturday, 9 Apr 2016

Dear Anthony,
U wrote everything right... But the last sentence on God...
ISLAM says ALLAH is the creator of all that exists.. & He knows whatever happening in this earth.. He is the most MERCIFUL.. cos of his mercy, Some of his creation do the evil and get away... But there is DAY it will accounted. That is the day, We will have to answer everything for the DEEDS done in this world which is the creation of ALLAH.
Suffering will exists in this world and those who oppressor people with their evil power will have permanent punishment unless they REPENT sincerely.. ALLAH forgives every sin except associating partners with HIM in WORSHIP.
God will SAve this COUNTRY for sure from the EVIL which we people CREATED cos people just believe what is said to them in the media....and elect leaders who doenst make sense...
When we look into who is ALLAH the true God, ALLAH's help comes even if you are in the deepest of the ocean calling him to help.
First Know who is ALLAH. When U know who is ALLAH surely U will depend on ALLAH and then the fear of such pity evil leaders will VAnish ... from your Fearful hearts that has been oppressed by these evil leaders.

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Saturday, 9 Apr 2016

Prakash..there are lot of genuine problems where wordings can bec twisted leave it...how can you save your Mata or how gods could die of thirst and hunger chodh yaar....ask you Hindu god saviors to stop this bulshit and stop seeing beef eaters.....as said in pk movie...sabh wrong number hai. just to screw minorities..
Sue your bjp rulers who can't save your God.

Rikaz
 - 
Saturday, 9 Apr 2016

RSS and Bajrangies should provide proper basic water and food supplies to these innocent animals.....it is solely those cow protectors responsibility to take care of them....they talk too much about cow now let they solve this problems too...

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News Network
May 18,2020

Bengaluru, May 18: Karnataka education minister S Suresh Kumar on Monday announced the SSLC examination dates. Earlier, Karnataka SSLC examinations were to be held between March 27 and April 9, 2020, but had to be postponed due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown.

The minister announced that Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) will conduct SSLC examination between June 25 to July 4 and the PUC exam for English paper will be held on June, 18, 2020.

"Examinations for Secondary School Leaving Certificate (SSLC) will be conducted between June 25 and July 4 in Karnataka. Exams for English paper of Pre-University Course (PUC) will he held on June 18: Karnataka Education Minister S Suresh Kumar," ANI tweeted.

The minister for primary and secondary education had held a meeting with the department officials to discuss the feasibility of conducting the exam.

Modalities of conducting the examination in the current situation of the COVID 19 pandemic while taking care of interests of students is of paramount importance, S Suresh Kumar said adding these issues have been kept in mind while finalising the schedule.

With inter-state and inter-district mobility a major issue with public transport not available and also due to 14-day institutional quarantine norms, the minister had told TOI that an idea has been introduced to allow students appear for the examination in the district where they presently are than at their designated examination centre.

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News Network
April 13,2020

Lucknow, Apr 13: Muslims in Uttar Pradesh are now worried that the intense communal profiling of the Corona patients by the official agencies could lead to lynching incidents once the lockdown is lifted.

Muslim scholar and former SP spokesman, Abdul Hafiz Gandhi, on Monday said, "The manner in which the government agencies are identifying persons belonging to Tablighi Jamaat in the list of Covid-19 patients is now translating into intense communal profiling which has been prohibited by the World Health Organization and the central government. A very small percentage of Muslims subscribe to the Tablighi Jamaat ideology but the impression going around is that the Muslim community, in general, is spreading coronavirus."

He said that there was a strong possibility of Muslims, in general, being attacked after the lockdown is lifted.

"This is exactly what happened on the cow slaughter issue. Even a small rumour led to people being lynched by mobs across the country. Corona is a pandemic and should be treated like one. We should fight against the virus together instead of creating a communal divide. Every day, the government spokesman lays down the number of Corona positive cases and then goes on to say how many of them are from Tablighi Jamaat," he explained.

Amir Haider, a social activist and also a veteran Congress leader, echoed similar sentiments when he said, "We strongly condemn the Tablighi Jamaat for ignoring the protocols and holding the congregation but why is the state government repeatedly harping on the religious angle. Shia and Sunni clerics are repeatedly asking the people to adhere to government guidelines and follow safety protocols.

He said that efforts to create a communal divide on the corona issue could have dangerous ramification after the lockdown is lifted."

A retired IAS officer, who did not wish to be named, said, that people have already started objecting to taking home deliveries from Muslim employees.

"My neighbours refused to take delivery of groceries from a Muslim boy. This is just the beginning of the narrative that is being drilled into the minds. We must check this before it explodes into something very dangerous," he said.

Comments

Wellwisher
 - 
Tuesday, 14 Apr 2020

What ever yogi want to do let him and keep faith on the creator and live fear lessly. Almighty is watching you and your faith.His decision  is vast  and he will protect his believer's always.

 

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News Network
July 12,2020

Bengaluru,  Jul 12: In view of the rising COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru, a complete lockdown will be implemented in Bengaluru City and Bengaluru Rural areas from 8 pm on July 14 to 5 am on July 22.

"Essentials such as hospitals, groceries, milk, fruit, vegetables, medicines will be available during this period. In addition, medical and postgraduate examinations will happen as already scheduled," the Karnataka CMO informed.

Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa appealed: "Co-operate with all social security policies, wear masks, and abide by government-issued lock-down guidelines for buying everyday items. Your collaboration is essential to controlling the spread of COVID-19 infection."

"I would like to congratulate all Asha activists, medical and police personnel, officers, volunteers, journalists and all those who work directly and indirectly to control the spread of COVID-19 infection," he added.

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