Centre's move to affect lives of millions: Pinarayi

Says cattle trade curbs intrude into states' rights

Beef fests were held in Kerala on Saturday, as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shot off a letter to the prime minister seeking withdrawal of restrictions on cattle trade.

This comes a day after Vijayan hit out at the Centre over new curbs on the sale of cattle for slaughter.

He sought to protect the “lives and livelihood of millions”, and safeguard the fundamental principles of the Constitution. The move amounted to an “intrusion” into the rights of the states, he said.

The chief minister, in his two-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said the constitution of District Animal Market Monitoring Committees and an Animal Market Committee to monitor cattle trade would “jeopardise” the free hand trade of cattle between farmers. “Legitimate fears are also being raised if they would take upon themselves the role of Gau Rakshak Samitis which have attacked cattle traders and transporters in the recent past,” he said.

Vijayan pointed out that such restrictions imposed just before the start of Ramzan would appear to certain communities as a direct attack on them.

“More than 2.5 million people work in India’s leather industry and most of them are Dalits, especially those engaged in skinning carcasses. Hence, this prohibition will severely affect our disadvantaged sections in terms of both their lives and livelihood,” he said.

Several state-owned meat processing industries would also become unviable. The chief minister said the restrictions, implemented without taking the states into confidence, would prove to be a challenge in upholding the nation’s plurality and essence.

Senior Congress leader A K Antony said the notification should be “torn to bits” and “dumped in a dust-bin”.