Cattle Preservation Bill passed in Assam; ban on beef sale proposed within 5 km of temples

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma just passed The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill in the legislative assembly on Friday. The passed bill replaces the existing  Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 1950. The CM had earlier proposed that the previous bill lacked clarity and provision to regulate slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle.

Assam CM proposed a complete ban on the sale and purchase of beef or non-beef products in areas, predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain, Sikh and other non-beef-eating communities. It also restricted the sale of these restricted items within 5 km of a temple or Vaishnavite monastery.

Among other provisions, the Bil states that a cow cannot be slaughtered regardless of age, a departure from the 1950 Act which allowed cattle slaughter “over 14 years of age” or those “unfit for work”. However, it retains the provision that stipulates obtaining an approval certificate from a veterinarian for the slaughter of all cattle, other than cows. 

Deifferent from the anti-slaughter law of other states

When CM introduced the bill, he made sure that it specifically excluded areas where the sale and purchase of beef are barred. Unlike anti-slaughter laws in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh which includes only cow progeny and not buffaloes, the Assam bill does not distinguish between cattle types. As reported by an agency, the bill applied to all cattle, including bulls, bullocks, cows, heifer, calves, male and female buffaloes and buffalo calves.

The Bill additionally barred inter-state transport of cattle too, from, and through the state of Assam without valid documents. The government’s intent behind the Bill is also to check cattle smuggling to Bangladesh, with whom Assam shares a 263-kilometre-long border.

What are the punishments if someone is charged?

Under the proposed ACT, a jail term of a minimum of three years which shall be further extendable up to eight years and a fine of Rs. 3 lakh could be imposed on the accused. The offender could be charged with either one or both. The punishment would be doubled for repeated offenders. As an exception, the provision would not apply to "religious occasions" when slaughtering cattle not being a cow or heifer or calf is permitted.

Image: PTI