Chennai: The centre’s notification banning the sale of cattle for slaughter has
enlivened state politics after a brief lull of about a month. The Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin has announced that he would lead a protest on May 31 against the move and other parties are preparing for agitations in the first week of June.
Making the announcement, Stalin said the ban snatches away the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Indian Constitution. The rules go against religious freedom, individual freedom and secularism. He also said the welfare of farmers too is intertwined with cattle sale and agriculture would be affected in a big way throughout the state. At a time when farmers are committing suicides due to severe drought, the ban on cattle slaughter would add to their woes, he said.
When the farmer is unable to provide fodder to the cattle, he would sell unproductive cows, besides aged and sick bulls, the DMK leader said and added that cattle trade is part of the village economy. The new rules would stop farmers from selling or buying cattle, he said and hit out at the AIADMK government which is silent on the issue.
DMK’s parent body, Dravidar Kazhagam, had announced an agitation on June 1 and had also said it would take the legal course against the notification, besides taking the issue to the people. VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan would hold protest demonstrations on June 2. Tamil nationalist outfits and Muslim organisations had come out with vehement statements and plans for series of protests throughout the state.
The PMK too threatened to hold agitations if the notification is not withdrawn and questioned the silence of the state government. Party founder S. Ramadoss said the state government had become a slave government and demanded that Tamil Nadu government should enact a law to exempt it from the Centre’s ban on cattle slaughter.
The PMK leader said all the state governments which are not ruled by the BJP had condemned the move, and pointed out that Kerala and north-eastern states had declared that they would enact their own legislations to exempt their states from the rules.
