Restrictions on buying and selling cattle in West Bengal ahead of Eid-ul-Azha have put a large number of the state's Hindu farmers and livestock traders in difficulty. They allege they are being stopped from selling cattle before the sacrifice festival.
Many Hindu farmers in West Bengal wait all year to make some profit by selling cattle in the Eid season. But since the BJP government came to power in the state, restrictions on animal sacrifice have left them facing losses. Many fear that if they cannot sell their cattle, they will be in serious trouble with their debts.
A plea to relax the law for a few days
Against this backdrop, Hindu cattle farmers in Ghatakpukur, South 24 Parganas, have urged the BJP government to relax the law somewhat for the next two or three days. They want to be able to sell the cattle they have at home during this Eid, and say the law can be enforced permanently after Eid.
An elderly woman farmer said it was wrong for the new government to cause so much hardship so suddenly. "We have been in this business for 35 years. We had to borrow money from different places for it. The new government should have given a set period of time. We have taken bank loans, and the banks won't let us off. Besides, there are family members too; what will happen to them?" she said.
Another cattle farmer, Arup Das, said many people of the Muslim community live in the area. "We have no problem between Hindus and Muslims. It is political parties that are breaking these relationships. Things were fine all this time; problems have come with this government. Do they understand people's suffering?" he said.
Goats instead of cows
Karim Molla, a Muslim buyer, said there would be no cow sacrifice this year because all the cattle markets in the area had been shut. "Everyone is saying not to get into arguments over this. We sacrifice a cow every year; this time we will sacrifice a goat," he said.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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