Eid on June 7, Maharashtra livestock panel calls for halt on animal markets
WITH EID al-Adha, known commonly as Bakri Eid, just a week away on June 7, the Maharashtra Goseva Ayog, a commission set up for welfare of indigenous cows, has directed all Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) not to hold any livestock market from June 3 to June 8.
The move has drawn flak from various quarters, including Muslim community members, who have questioned the intent behind stopping the sale of all animals, including lambs and sheep, in the whole week preceding Eid.
In a May 27 circular sent to all APMCs, the Goseva Ayog said in light of the upcoming Bakri Eid festival, when large-scale animal slaughter/ sacrifice is carried out, no livestock markets should be held in villages across districts from June 3-8 to ensure that no illegal slaughter of bovines takes place. 'Please stay vigilant in this matter,' it said, referencing the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, which enforces a complete ban on the slaughter of bovine animals (cow progeny) in the state.
Under existing rules, the slaughter of cows, bulls, and bullocks is completely banned in Maharashtra, regardless of age or condition. Possession of beef —the meat of cows, bulls, and bullocks—is also criminalised.
'The state needs to take steps to ensure that cow slaughter does not take place. But what is the intent behind shutting down the entire market? If the markets are not held, the trade of non-banned animals such as goats, buffaloes, and sheep will also come to a halt. As a result, daily wage income for farmers, porters, brokers, drivers, the Qureshi-Khatik community, and laborers will stop,' said Farooq Ahmad, State Vice President, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, leading a protest against the circular in Nanded.
Ahmad also questioned the Goseva Ayog's authority in directing the APMCs to shut down these markets. 'Goseva Ayog has powers to recommend. Directly issuing orders to market committees constitutes an overreach of its authority,' Ahmad said.
The Commission, meanwhile, has said its only purpose was to minimise any possibility of cow slaughter. 'During the days preceding Eid, a lot of animal transactions—including for slaughter—are carried out with the intent of sacrificing the animals. We only want to stop this from occurring. As far as the stoppage of sale of other animals is concerned, that will happen only for one week,' said Shekhar Mundada, Chairman, Maharashtra Goseva Ayog. He also said the circular should be deemed only as an 'advisory'.
Maharashtra has 305 principal and 603 secondary APMCs, and these are regulated by the Maharashtra State Agricultural Marketing Board under the APMC Act. There are 292 livestock markets functioning in Maharashtra, and almost all are regulated by the APMCs.
Cattle are mainstay of these markets, where farmers transact at the onset of the monsoon, utilise them for agricultural purposes, and then sell them after harvesting due to issues related to livestock fodder or maintenance. However, smaller animals like goats, sheep, and lambs are also traded. The trade spikes in the days leading up to Eid al-Adha, or Bakri Eid, when Muslims flock these markets to purchase animals for animal sacrifice known as Qurbani.
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