Cattle law: Poor buffalo, a fall guy

Forget for a moment, the opposition from various quarters to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter of Cattle Bill passed by the Assembly recently, but the legislation is clearly discriminatory. While cows have been granted lifetime protection from slaughter, buffaloes above the age of 13 can be culled for their meat. Law Minister J C Madhuswamy is also on record that consumption of beef is not banned in the state as buffalo meat will still be available.

Though one of the stated objectives of the Bill is to prohibit the slaughter of cattle for the preservation and improvement of their breeds, the law minister adds in the same breath, “Cow is our god and has to be respected, protected and worshipped.” But what sin have buffaloes committed? Like cows, they too provide milk and dung and play a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of rural India.

Why are they treated as children of a lesser god? Is it because of their dark skin? Is it not ironical that the buffalo which is no less holier than the cow, being the vehicle of Yama Raj, the god of death, has no guarantee over its own life beyond 13 years?

If this is the state of buffaloes, cows across the country too do not stand on the same footing and are discriminated on grounds of place of birth and residence. And if one thought they enjoyed special protection in BJP-ruled states, they could not be more wrong. While cow has the full protection of the law in states like Karnataka, it is a delicacy in neighbouring Goa, though both are ruled by the same party.

The slaughter ban has led to an acute scarcity of beef in Goa, with chief minister Pramod Sawant promising to restore supply from Karnataka. Is that why the buffalo was made the fall guy? Interestingly, while a BJP candidate in Kerala had made an election promise some time ago to provide good quality beef, the party does not seem to be bothered that cattle in north-eastern states do not enjoy the status of either gods or mothers.

Bovines, perhaps in their wildest dreams would not have imagined that their life and status would be dependent on the parties in power or the region where they live. Unfortunately, they neither have the power to vote nor the right to choose their place of residence. While what is good for the cow is not good for the buffalo, the cow itself may be considered mummy in one state, but yummy in another.