| Date: |
15-09-2014 |
| Subject: |
Export of milking cow beef leading to non-availability of healthy milk: Maneka |
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JAIPUR: Union minister for women and child welfare Maneka Gandhi claimed on Sunday that increasing demand for beef of milking cow in the Middle East countries was leading to alarming downfall in availability of healthy milk and subsequent adulteration of dairy products in India. She also cited studies about how money earned from the illegal trade of animal meat was being pumped into sponsor terrorism in the country.
"Traders milk the cow in front of the slaughterer to prove that they have brought a milking cow only. After that, the udder is chopped off before cow is slaughtered," said Gandhi, while addressing delegates on the third day of 'India for Animals' conference in Jaipur.
She clarified that there should not be religious or communal connotations to her statement as people from all communities were involved in slaughtering cows. However, her remarks could give another dimension to BJP's alleged polarization politics in the country.
"A slaughterer could be a Muslim but the transporter and the owners of the cows are often Hindus and non-Muslims. So it is not about religion but about trade and greed for money," she said. The minister said that an animal could live for 20 to 25 years but animals in the country are predominantly less than 10 years of age only because of thriving beef business.
Gandhi said that hundreds of pregnant cows were being slaughtered and illegally exported to several parts of the world including Bangladesh, the country, which has emerged as a major importer of the cow beef despite having miniscule cow population in their country. "India has gained dubious distinction of being largest beef importer in the country. We are importing beef more than China," she said.
Gandhi said that growing trend of use of Oxytocin injection was leading to premature unproductiveness among cows after which they are sold to slaughter houses. "Studies have found more than 80% of milk in India as fake. Since number of milking animals is depleting fast, milk adulteration has increased manifold and what we are drinking or eating is poison," she remarked. Oxytocin injection is often used on cows mainly in India with a misplaced assumption to increase milk production.
Citing a recent study handed over to Uttar Pradesh police, Gandhi said that a major chunk of the money earned from illegal trade of the animal was being diverted to sponsor terrorist outfits in the country. "Therefore, the thriving illegal trade was a risk to country's safety too," she said.
Gandhi criticised the Maharashtra government for permitting the slaughtering of 15,000 oxen annually and said such decision of the Maharashtra government would be detrimental to the interest of animal welfare. "Exports of all kinds of meat of animals should be banned and the animal welfare activists should launch a country wide movement for the illegal slaughtering of animals," she said.
She urged tight vigilance on the part of Rajasthan government as large number of camels is being taken away from the state for slaughtering purpose to various states and also Bangladesh. She asked the animal welfare activists to work against largescale transport of animals for slaughtering from one state to the other. She said such massive campaign would result in drop of slaughtering and would save thousands of animals. "An average 300 truckload of animals are brought to Delhi everyday and slaughtered," she said.
Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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