Haryana mulls more stringent cow protection law

Almost two years after it enacted a law imposing a prison term of up to 10 years for cow slaughter, the BJP-led Haryana government is mulling making some of the key clauses in the law — Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 — more stringent. The law prohibits cow slaughter and sale of beef in the state.

The Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog, a body established under the law, has sought suggestions from public on how the law can be strengthened.

Indicating the government line of thinking, Gau Sewa Aayog chairman Bhani Ram Mangla told DNA, "Some flaws in the existing law have come to the fore, which have weakened its implementation at the ground level. We want to strengthen the law and ensure that it is strictly implemented."

Elaborating on the lacunae, Mangla said, "What if a mob attacks a truck carrying meat alleging that it is beef Though the Act calls for establishment of laboratories to test if it is beef or not, till that happens, there needs to be more clarity on what all documents and permits that the person needs to furnish, so that the situation can be prevented from escalating."

The Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, completely bans cow slaughter in the state and the sale/storage/transport of beef or beef products except for such medicinal purposes or when it is prescribed by a doctor. In such cases, the law entails that the person needs to submit a medical prescription by the doctor.

Mangla, however, now says there have been objections to this clause.

Another clause in the Haryana Act that could be re-looked at is Section 4, which says that removal of skin and hide from dead cows, other than slaughtered cows, by an authorised contractor shall not be construed as cow slaughter. "There is no clarity on how it would be ascertained if the skin belonged to a cow that died a natural death or was slaughtered. The Act is also silent on how the horns, bones etc of naturally dead cows would be utilised or kept," says People for Animals, Haryana, chapter chairman Naresh Kadyan, who has filed a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against some clauses of the Act, submitted suggestions to the Gau Sewa Aayog.

"If beef has no medicinal value as per research, why it is still permitted under the Act" asks Kadyan.

As per the data provided by the Cow Protection Task Force of Haryana Police set up by the government in 2016, this year, a total of 179 cases have been registered till March involving arrest of 108 accused under the new law.