The Supreme Court has done well to recommend that paramilitary forces and local administration in districts bordering Bangladesh be involved actively in preventing the smuggling of cattle to that country. This is a more practical way to tackle the problem of Indian cattle being driven to illegal meat markets in Bangladesh and for animal sacrifice at the Gadhimai festival in Nepal. The Centre may have pushed an eccentric idea of tagging all cows with a unique identification number, and storing all the data in a state database and nationally-lined website, but while such concern for cattle must be touching and will be endorsed by animal activists, the move may also be seen as fuelling the “holy cow” brand of nationalism that is fast gaining currency in the country.
In India, cows have enjoyed a special status for ages, and in modern times are also protected by constitutional provisions against the slaughter of cows and calves. But the cow protection ideal is being taken to extremes by gau rakshaks in some areas — vigilantes running riot in the name of protecting the highly-domesticated animal whose many byproducts are of great utility for human consumption. In mooting an expensive ID system, that may cost Rs 150 crores, for an animal that’s not on the endangered list, the government may further embolden vigilantes who are freely stoking communal tensions in the name of cow protection. As the border issue is really one of vigilance, preventing cattle smuggling can best be enforced by the paramilitary and the administration. A database for cows seems too crazy an idea.
