Cow slaughter and the
illegal cattle mafia in India
The illegal cow slaughter in India is, and has historically been a complicated situation and sensitive issue, and has in the past become a major flash-point for ethnic and religious conflict between Hindus and Muslims, leading to riots and even deaths.
Cows are held in higher regard than other animals in India. Some consider them holy, and deserving of protection not only from cruelty, but from activities which would be considered routine in the west, such as slaughter for consumption and manufacture of leather goods.
However, there are also communities in India which have traditionally practized the slaughter of cows, and trade in goods made from animal parts. The two facets are essentially at odds.
The cow's special status in India is enshrined in law. With the exception of two states, the slaughter of cows and calves is totally forbidden, whatever the reason and at whatever age. Bulls and bullocks and she-buffaloes are protected up to 15 years of age.
But all this apparent reverence and protection masks a trade in cows and cow products which involves unbelievable barbarity and cruelty.
Much of the abuse stems from the fact that the trade in, and slaughter of cows is almost entirely clandestine and illegal - but the authorities which should be stopping it are routinely bribed to let it continue. There is, therefore, no scrutiny or regulation of the trade anywhere along the line.
Laws enacted in various Indian states reflect a variety of opinions, and cattle slaughter is permissible in some and not in others. This means that cattle that are set for slaughter must be transported from places where they are, to the states where cow slaughter is permitted.
During these transports:
- Cows and buffaloes are forced to trudge hundreds of miles without food or water and with little rest
- Animals are beaten mercilessly and driven forward in the searing Indian heat
- Their tails are broken deliberately, and tobacco and chili peppers are rubbed into their eyes in order to drive them on or force them to stand up when they collapse
- Their hooves are often bleeding and worn down to stumps
- When transported by truck, cattle suffer unimaginably because of terrible overcrowding. Crammed on top of each other in the trucks, the cows trample one another, unable to avoid suffocating each other and gouging and blinding each other with their horns
- When they are unloaded, the cows who can still stand are pulled or forced to jump from the high truck beds, often breaking legs and pelvises
- Those who have collapsed are dragged from the trucks and left lying where other cows are unloaded on top of them. Once inside the slaughterhouse, their legs hacked off or they are skinned while still alive
PETA India says:
"most Indians are not aware of the fate of these animals. The cows often come from poor farmers or other people who don’t realize that the animals will be treated so harshly and are often not told that the cows will be slaughtered.
The Indian cattle transport industry, rife with illegal practices and corruption (such as bribery of officials charged with overseeing transport and slaughter), remains secretive and out of sight of the general public".
Cattle abused in Kerala in transportation before being slaughtered
In the following video you can clearly see emaciated exhausted cows with buckled and broken legs being coaxed to get up to walk to the nearest illegal slaughter house – by putting red chili powder in their eyes and biting their tail!
Indians split over cow ban
By Neeta Lal - January 6, 2012 - Asia Times
NEW DELHI - Rarely, if ever, has an animal and its meat been the object of such dissonance as the cow has been in India. Referred to reverentially as kamdhenu (one who fulfills all needs), the animal occupies a prime place in Hindu religious rituals and customs.
The issue of its slaughter thus invariably kindles strong passions across the socio-political spectrum. While the far-right Hindutva groups oppose the cows' butchering, liberals are vehement that what kind of meat one eats ought to be a matter of personal choice in a democracy.
Against such a contentious backdrop, the ban by the government of the Hindu nationalist right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on cow slaughter in the central state of Madhya Pradesh - with an exceptionally stringent law - has resurrected the age-old debate.
The Gau-Vansh Vadh Pratishedh (Sanshodhan) Act, which has already received the presidential stamp, makes cow slaughter a serious offence punishable by up to seven years in jail. The law will also trigger punitive action to varying degrees against those who transport cows to slaughter or store beef.
The new legislation, say critics, is basically the old bugbear of "cow politics" masquerading as a matter of "public interest and communal harmony". It could have serious societal ramifications, too, considering it will permit an authority to randomly inspect homes and eateries on the pretext of seeking "evidence".
This is tricky territory - apart from stoking religious sentiments, such "inspections" may well encourage abuse or harassment amounting to an infringement of human rights. More so as the onus, under this act, is on the accused to prove his or her innocence.
A special symbol
The cow has dominated the Indian political matrix for decades. As far back as 1966, Delhi witnessed an outbreak of a massive agitation on the issue of a ban of cow slaughter.
To read the entire article, please go to the website of Asia Times. Thank you!
Growing beef trade hits
India's sacred cow
By Arezou Rezvani, Benjamin Gottlieb and Elise Hennigan, for CNN - April 19, 2012
When 33-year-old Ashoo Mongia visits the supermarket it's rarely for stocking up his fridge for the week. As head of a cow protection enforcement team, he regularly scours Delhi grocery stores and outdoor markets for food products containing cow beef.
For the last 15 years, Mongia and his team of 120 Delhi-based volunteers have thrown themselves in a battle that pits India's billon-dollar meat industry and growing underground beef trade against Hindu traditionalists keen on preserving the holy status of cows.
"The cow is our mother, it's our duty to protect her," said Mongia, who monitors and raids hundreds of stores, butcher shops and slaughterhouses suspected of carrying, selling or slaughtering India's blessed bovines. "We do this because we believe in what the cow represents in our country, our culture and in the Hindu religion."
This year, India will displace the United States as the world's third largest beef exporter, behind Brazil and Australia. In just the first half of 2012, India exported $1.24 billion worth of meat, and a 30 percent growth in revenue from 2010 exports is projected by the end of the year, according to a U.S. Beef Export Federation study.
While the bulk of Indian exports is buffalo meat bound for Middle East and Southeast Asian markets, the growing middle class in Arab countries has sparked a new craving for cow beef. The rise in demand could make India the world's king beef exporter by 2013, according to USDA estimates.
But as India continues its struggle for economic and political dominance in South Asia, there is concern that Hindu-mandated bans on beef could hamper the industry's future growth, particularly in states like Kerala and West Bengal where the practice is legal.
Relied on by generations of Indians for tilling fields, dairy products and dung fuel, the cow is regarded by Hindus as gau mata, or maternal figure, and has had a long-standing central role in India's religious rituals. Those religious attitudes, however, are viewed by some Indian business leaders as a major hindrance to commerce.
"Cow beef could be a very lucrative business in India," said Dr. S.K. Ranjhan, the director of Hind Agro Industries Limited, who believes that religious attitudes may stand to change once the extent of business opportunities are realized. "I think five-to-10 years from now, people won't be so scandalized by the sale of cow beef."
The majority of India's 24 states outlaw the slaughter of cows except under extenuating circumstances: to stifle contagious diseases, prevent pain and suffering, medical research, etc. And several states -- including Delhi and Rajasthan, among others -- ban the sale and slaughter of cows altogether.
The strict laws against cow slaughter in the majority of India's provinces have forced the lucrative cow beef trade underground. An estimated 1.5 million cows, valued at up to $500 million, are smuggled out of India annually, which some analysts say provide more than 50% of beef consumed in neighboring Bangladesh.
"When you consider just how much money is made from underground cow smuggling, it becomes clear that not only is there a huge amount at stake, but a huge demand that butchers and slaughterhouses are catering to," said Dr. Zarin Ahmad, a fellow at the Centre de Sciences Humaines in New Delhi, who has extensively studied the work and trade among India's butcher communities.
Working with Mongia's enforcement team is Parmanand Mittal, a cow-advocacy lawyer who works from a home-office on the outskirts of Delhi. Throughout the day, Mittal fields a stream of phone calls -- tipsters who have caught wind of illegal slaughterhouses and owners of gau shalas, or cow sanctuaries, concerned with unexpected expenses associated with new rescues.
In Mittal's office hangs a painting of Lord Krishna — one of the most revered divinities in Hinduism— with his arm resting affectionately on a white calf. While Mongia's crew breaks up the slaughterhouses, Mittal builds a legal case for prosecution. His backlog of casework extensive, Mittal says.
While there might be money to be made from adding cow beef to current exports, India would incur costs elsewhere, Mittal says.
"Cows have long been the source of fuel, manure and fertilizer, among other things. These animals are revered because they've played a large role in the welfare and livelihood of all Indians," Mittal said. "Take away the cow and the repercussions will be huge."
The slaughtering of animals in Kerala
The following VERY GRAPHIC video was recorded in an abattoir in Kerala. It shows slaughterhouse workers trying to stun the animals by hitting them with a hammer on the head before slaughtering them.
Several strong blows on the head are needed before the cow is finally lying on the ground, unable to stand up one more time. It is uncertain that the animal is really unconscious at the time of having her/his throat cut and is bleeding to death.
India has become a large slaughterhouse for cows,
says Maneka Gandhi
The following is a letter written by Maneka Gandhi, dated June 16, 2012, originally published in People for Animals, India
I have over two hundred letters on my table complaining about illegal cow slaughter. Many of these complainants are groups who have stopped trucks stuffed with cows and calves, many of them dead of suffocation and injuries, only to have the police take a bribe and let the animals go. Uttar Pradesh has become one large slaughterhouse for cows with Mulayam Singh’s government giving licences for meat export slaughterhouses by the hundred. Rampur, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Aligarh, Agra, this is the Muslim belt and thousands of cows are brought in daily to be killed. From Rajasthan they pour in to Mewat which is a 90% Muslim district. From the other side of Rajasthn they go in the thousands to Gujarat where they are killed in Porbandar. Daman and Diu and then the meat is taken to Mumbai. Thousands go from all over Maharashtra to be killed at Deonar illegally. From Orissa and Bihar they are herded to West Bengal and go through to Bangladesh which has a beef export of 1 lakh tones a year without having a single cow or buffalo. From Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka they are taken to Kerala where they are killed in the dozens of slaughterhouses on the border and then exported as meat to the Middle East. From Punjab, buyers with illegal certificates saying that they are for agricultural purposes bribe Laloo Prasad’s railway officials and stuff them into bogeys and take them to West Bengal.. Delhi has 11,000 illegal slaughterhouses, small shanties in the slums that kill hundreds of cows brought in from Haryana. There a genocide going on with over two lakh cows being killed per DAY. This killing is happening hand in glove with the police and district magistrates who give false certificates every day allowing cows to be loaded onto trucks. The law is clear – not more than 4 cows can be carried in one truck. Everyday, my organization catches trucks that have more than 50 cows in each.
Government looks the other way and boasts that we have the largest leather and meat export in the world. The fact that the entire leather industry is made from the skins of illegally killed cows or that the meat has come from young milch cows and their babies is irrelevant to them. The police are delighted with this crime – each truck pays the chungies and each policeman takes home thousands of bribe rupees every day from this killing. Everytime we stop a truck, it is the policeman who defend and release the truck with its suffering cargo of squashed animals. Every week there is a cow selling fair in each district, supposedly for farmers. No farmer goes there to buy. The slaughter mafia bring their trucks and pick up hundreds of animals. One person who tried to stop this in Haryana was arrested by the police on the complaint of criminals, that she was stopping their work.
Go to Bihar – most villages have no cows in them. In Andhra Pradesh rustling is a major crime – people who hold up villagers at gunpoint and take their animals for slaughter. One old woman who tried to stop a cattle truck in Gorantla, Anantapur was beaten up in full sight of the village and the police. No one intervened as the men had guns. Within ten years we will have no cows. The story of the tiger is being repeated. The government kept giving false figures to the world – we have 9000 tigers or more. When an actual headcount was done, we have less than 300 and the killing continues. We have more tigers in the zoos than in the wild. The same with the cows. Government has convinced itself that we have the largest cattle population in the world with one crore cows. Do a headcount – there will be less than 20 lakh left. Anybody in rural India can tell you that. Find me a cow in Punjab or Rajasthan or even Madhya Pradesh.
The cows in the gaushalas are not any better off. Most of the gaushala managers who have been gifted the land by the government to protect cows, now run them as dairies for their own milk. The Balkeshwar gaushala in Agra has a tie up with butchers who take the non milking cows every month. In Mathura, the home of Krishna and the cows, you cannot find a single calf in any gaushala as they have all been sold because the milk of their mothers is for the gaushala managers. Hundreds of cows were sent by the Uttar Pradesh Animal Husbandry Minister to Lakhimpur Kheri – supposedly to clear the streets of Lucknow. Most of them were sold by the truckers on the way to butcher shops. The few that arrived were immediately brought from the government gaushala by the meat traders, under the benign eye of the district magistrate. In Rajasthan, in Sirohi, the district magistrate gives false certificates every day to the cow traders and if the trucks are caught by activists, they are beaten by the police.
In Mumbai, the Muslims like eating only pregnant and milking cows. I have film footage of cows that are being milked ten minutes before their heads are sawn off. Their udders are sold with the meat so that the buyer knows he is eating the flesh of a mother.
The Minister for Agriculture, Sharad Pawar, who owns piggeries and poultries himself and calls himself a “modern” farmer dismisses the entire killing as the disposal of useless animals. When people try and justify animal slaughter and meat export on the basis of earning money, it would be wise to look at the actual economic contribution of these so-called useless animals that you kill. A study by the Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering put out the following figures five years ago.
Our 73 million (this number is of 1990) draught animals work equivalent to 27 million megawatts of energy which means not only savings in terms of coal and other raw materials but also in terms of land for power projects and in pollution from noxious gases, effluents and flyash.
They provide approx 100 million tonnes of dry dung a year costing Rs 5000 crores which saves 50 million tonnes of firewood which again means that many trees saved and more environmental damage prevented. It is calculated that if these 73 million animals were to be replaced, we would need 7.3 million tractors at the cost of 2.5 lac each which would amount to an investment of 180,000 crores. In addition 2 crore, 37 lakh and 50 thousand tonnes of diesel which would mean another 57,000 crore rupees. This is how much we owe these animals, and this is what we stand to lose by killing them.
Loss of cattle deprives us of dung for fuel and fertiliser which means loss of biogas and trees cut for firewood. In 1994, India for the first time had to import cow dung from Holland. While chemical fertiliser import has gone up from about 1 crore in 1960 to about Rs 450 crores in 1990 to triple that in 2005.
Look at our other imports of animal products: Import of milk and milk powder has risen from 6 tonnes in 1950 to 65 tonnes in 1990 while butter oil has gone from half a tonne to 16 and a half tonnes. Again triple that for 2006.
16 lakh litres of water are needed daily to keep ONE moderate sized slaughterhouse clean.
That is drinking water for 30 lakh people. Can a water and energy starved country like India really afford to kill cattle anymore?
Maneka Gandhi
Last updated on Saturday, 16 June 2012 16:31
Their Last Journey
Cattle trafficking to Kerala
The following is a documentary on the unspeakable cruelty caused to cattle during transportation to Kerala for slaughter. Research revealed certain startling and unknown facts in history on the issue and exposes the shameful fact how this ancient civilization which did agriculture as dharma today prides itself on being the world’s 3rd largest meat producing country.
This video shows exactly what is happening in India to the cows these days, and why cattle population is rapidly decreasing.
Source
Text taken from youtube:
Temple Worshippers Society was formed with the twin objectives of Temple Protection and Cattle Protection. Since its inception, Temple Worshippers Society has been focussing on the Government's mismanagement of Temples, their properties and endowments, interference in worshipping patterns, total disregard to Gau Samrakshana, etc. We are committed to restoring our Temples and its endowments from the evil clutches of the Government, rightfully for management by Hindus themselves.
Towards achieving the second objective, this documentary is our first step to stop cruelty to cattle, while being transported in millions to Kerala.
It is our earnest desire that viewers should protest strongly through emails and letters to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to stop allowing Tamil Nadu from being a transit point for illegal cattle mafia.
All that we ask the Government is to enforce the rule of law - the laws pertaining to transportation of Animals, true to its words, spirit and content.
The Government should rescue the animals and house them in Temple lands endowed by generous devotees for running Goshalas. Every temple in Tamil Nadu should house such abandoned cattle and nourish them through the rest of their lives in Goshalas earmarked as endowments for such purpose.
Temple Worshippers Society was formed with the twin objectives of Temple Protection and Cattle Protection. Since its inception, Temple Worshippers Society has been focussing on the Government's mismanagement of Temples, their properties and endowments, interference in worshipping patterns, total disregard to Gau Samrakshana, etc. We are committed to restoring our Temples and its endowments from the evil clutches of the Government, rightfully for management by Hindus themselves.
Towards achieving the second objective, this documentary is our first step to stop cruelty to cattle, while being transported in millions to Kerala.
It is our earnest desire that viewers should protest strongly through emails and letters to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu to stop allowing Tamil Nadu from being a transit point for illegal cattle mafia.
All that we ask the Government is to enforce the rule of law - the laws pertaining to transportation of Animals, true to its words, spirit and content.
The Government should rescue the animals and house them in Temple lands endowed by generous devotees for running Goshalas. Every temple in Tamil Nadu should house such abandoned cattle and nourish them through the rest of their lives in Goshalas earmarked as endowments for such purpose.
To take action, please write to:
Government of Tamil Nadu
Hon'ble Chief Minister, Selvi J Jayalalithaa
Chief Minister's Office
Secretariat, Chennai 600 009
PBX No. 044-25665566
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Hon'ble Chief Minister, Selvi J Jayalalithaa
Chief Minister's Office
Secretariat, Chennai 600 009
PBX No. 044-25665566
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
And please join the Facebook-page of People for Cattle in India
People for Cattle in India need as many volunteers from Chennai (Tamil Nadu) as possible to stage an awareness program.
Sweet souls interested, please message People for Cattle in India with your contact details or get in touch via Facebook as soon as possible.
It's time to stop all this MADNESS!
Contact: People for Cattle in India on Facebook
Thank you!
People for Cattle in India stops two trucks
and rescues the cattle
On December 21, 2012 - in an unprecedented action - activists of People for Cattle in India, stopped two trucks on their way from Orissa to Kerala.
Below, the messages shared by PFCI after the rescue:
On Friday the 21st December 2012, our PFCI Team members, along with sweet souls of various groups and animal lovers joined hands to embark in a journey to do our little bit to stop the cruel way of cattle transport from Orissa to Kerala.
Many have tried stopping a truck or two in the past. We did the operation with professionals from law, press, cine and IT field.
Our main goal is to stop at least 10 trucks and to film the whole episode on camera and publicize it to create more awareness. Which we strongly feel will win us more mind share from like-minded people who will join this revolution to put an end to this menace. Our act is inevitable since the governing bodies have failed to do their job due to negligence, or under the influence of bribery. This time around we could catch hold of 2 such trucks.
Thanks to all the humble souls who took part in this operation. God bless u all. U guys are true Angels.
Below, the messages shared by PFCI after the rescue:
On Friday the 21st December 2012, our PFCI Team members, along with sweet souls of various groups and animal lovers joined hands to embark in a journey to do our little bit to stop the cruel way of cattle transport from Orissa to Kerala.
Many have tried stopping a truck or two in the past. We did the operation with professionals from law, press, cine and IT field.
Our main goal is to stop at least 10 trucks and to film the whole episode on camera and publicize it to create more awareness. Which we strongly feel will win us more mind share from like-minded people who will join this revolution to put an end to this menace. Our act is inevitable since the governing bodies have failed to do their job due to negligence, or under the influence of bribery. This time around we could catch hold of 2 such trucks.
Thanks to all the humble souls who took part in this operation. God bless u all. U guys are true Angels.
The first Truck arriving.. We [PFCI] stopped this truck. The Police were absolutely helpless [useless]. We waited, waited & waited. The police never turned up. The police station was hardly one KM away.
We took both the trucks ourselves to the police station. After 6 hours at the police station, they filed an FIR. Later we rushed to Kanchipuram Gausala and handed over all the cows to them.
Pictures taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
We took both the trucks ourselves to the police station. After 6 hours at the police station, they filed an FIR. Later we rushed to Kanchipuram Gausala and handed over all the cows to them.
Pictures taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
This is the first truck, filled with 27 cows - all on their way to slaughter....
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Here we can see how they are cruely & closely tied. No food, water & shelter. The truckers violated all P C A Acts.
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
This is the 2nd truck. This one had 15 milk cows on board. The drivers claimed that these were on their way to Andhra from Tamil Nadu and stated that they were given to farmers of Andhra by TN Govt. We were shocked to hear this and complained to the Police. Later after much tension, police filed FIR only after 15 hours. Something is fishy with this truck. They are obviously not going for slaughter, but why should TN give cows to Andhra when Andhra has plenty of them?
This Truck had 15 cows of which 6 were pregnant. 1 cow gave birth within in few hours of us stopping it. Just imagine if we had not stopped it? The poor cow would have had her baby in the moving truck.
Thanks God for all the sweet souls who rescued these cows. The next day, 2 more cows gave birth to boy calfs. Now all the 15 cows and their 3 children are doing very good...... God Bless
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
This Truck had 15 cows of which 6 were pregnant. 1 cow gave birth within in few hours of us stopping it. Just imagine if we had not stopped it? The poor cow would have had her baby in the moving truck.
Thanks God for all the sweet souls who rescued these cows. The next day, 2 more cows gave birth to boy calfs. Now all the 15 cows and their 3 children are doing very good...... God Bless
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
This is the second truck with 15 cows stopped near the busy toll gate.Out of 15 cows, 6 cows were heavily pregnant.The first mother gave birth within few hours on the day we stopped the truck.
The next day two more mothers gave birth to 2 boys. On Christmas, the fourth mother gave birth to another baby.
Within 4 days, we have 4 babies. 2 more pregnant cows will deliver anytime.
Its so overwhelming to witness all this divinity at the times of cruelty. Thanks to everyone who did ur bit. God Bless. There is Hope.
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
The next day two more mothers gave birth to 2 boys. On Christmas, the fourth mother gave birth to another baby.
Within 4 days, we have 4 babies. 2 more pregnant cows will deliver anytime.
Its so overwhelming to witness all this divinity at the times of cruelty. Thanks to everyone who did ur bit. God Bless. There is Hope.
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
What more ghastly can you envisage to happen in India than pregnant cows being slaughtered?
Yes, what you read is true.
Some kind young souls got this info and committed to stop such evil thing from happening no matter what.
There was a truck full of cows, many of which were pregnant and under labour. Tightly crammed and many trampled in a truck, unable to move and breathe, whose head hung low.
It was a terrible sight for any human with heart.
Some brave souls, stolidly stopped the moving truck without caring for the police who had been turning a blind eye in lure of money.
The truck was stopped and taken to a serene pasture, where the cows were offloaded. The ones under labour were helped by the vet who was called on site.
Sooner one of them delivered a baby female calf. And in next subsequent hours, two other cows were blessed with little male calves. It was such a soothing sight for those young souls under toil.
Had the truck been allowed to go its usual trip, these pregnant cows would have been slaughtered. The beef of cows and the veal of these not yet born calves would have been awaited to devour upon by some cruel people in our motherland.
Rise, and awaken yourselves from deep slumber. More than visiting temples, we need to visit highways to stop this evil trade.
This is true Dharma. This is true Humanity. No other effort could please the God and appease our Soul.
This alone is the true scriptural following. May god bestow us with strength to stop this beef trade !!!
Please message us if your heart boils upon reading this.
Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray! God bless you all!
- People for Cattle in India -
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Yes, what you read is true.
Some kind young souls got this info and committed to stop such evil thing from happening no matter what.
There was a truck full of cows, many of which were pregnant and under labour. Tightly crammed and many trampled in a truck, unable to move and breathe, whose head hung low.
It was a terrible sight for any human with heart.
Some brave souls, stolidly stopped the moving truck without caring for the police who had been turning a blind eye in lure of money.
The truck was stopped and taken to a serene pasture, where the cows were offloaded. The ones under labour were helped by the vet who was called on site.
Sooner one of them delivered a baby female calf. And in next subsequent hours, two other cows were blessed with little male calves. It was such a soothing sight for those young souls under toil.
Had the truck been allowed to go its usual trip, these pregnant cows would have been slaughtered. The beef of cows and the veal of these not yet born calves would have been awaited to devour upon by some cruel people in our motherland.
Rise, and awaken yourselves from deep slumber. More than visiting temples, we need to visit highways to stop this evil trade.
This is true Dharma. This is true Humanity. No other effort could please the God and appease our Soul.
This alone is the true scriptural following. May god bestow us with strength to stop this beef trade !!!
Please message us if your heart boils upon reading this.
Hands that serve are holier than lips that pray! God bless you all!
- People for Cattle in India -
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
On the Toll...
Thanks to all u Gals n Boys for ur fantastic efforts!
God Bless, Touch-wood.....Way to go, get ready for the Next Op!
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
Thanks to all u Gals n Boys for ur fantastic efforts!
God Bless, Touch-wood.....Way to go, get ready for the Next Op!
Picture taken December 21, 2012 in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
The rescue covered by the Indian media!
Please click on the picture to enlarge
Note:
The texts that we have added below the pictures, are the words of People for Cattle in India.
If you like to post an encouraging comment for PFCI, please do so on their original album on Facebook, here.
If you are from India, and interested in getting involved in future actions and rescues,
please get in touch with PFCI via Facebook.
If you want to get in touch with PFCI by email, please use Facebook Mail
Thank you!
If you like to post an encouraging comment for PFCI, please do so on their original album on Facebook, here.
If you are from India, and interested in getting involved in future actions and rescues,
please get in touch with PFCI via Facebook.
If you want to get in touch with PFCI by email, please use Facebook Mail
Thank you!
Success for PFCI's second action
to stop illegal cattle trafficking
People for Cattle in India did it again!
On Saturday, 5th of January, 2013 they stopped 4 trucks, containing 124 cattle, of which 122 could be rescued!
These are the words of PFCI:
"This time around we could catch hold of 4 such trucks. There were a staggering 124 cattle in just these 4 trucks.
This is utter cruelty and brutality.
After much tension and conflict with the truck drivers and owners we got the FIR BY 10:30 AM. Nearly 13 hours after we gave a complaint. The truckers did everything they could to prolong the issue which resulted in sad demise of 2 buffaloes inside the truck. This made police quicken the procedure. Media covered the entire episode and played a huge part in the rescue.
Now all 122 cattle are rescued and are resting in a traditional and experienced Gausala.
Thanks to all the Angels who took part in this Operation. God bless u all. U guys are Living Legends."
All 4trucks are parked outside the police station. All 4 trucks were stationed there from 11 PM till 11:20 AM. We were helpless and the police and lawyers of the truckers prolonged as much as possible to make us leave the place without taking the custody of cattle.
We were stubborn and never left the place till we got the FIR & custody letter. That is after 12 hours of lodging a compliant.
We were stubborn and never left the place till we got the FIR & custody letter. That is after 12 hours of lodging a compliant.
Early hours on Sunday morning. All 4 trucks parked next to each other. As the sun rose, we got more members turn up, also the public lauded our efforts. They offered help to us and the cattle.
We told them about the entire episode of cattle trafficking and they were all shocked. This is the problem: people are not aware that carrying so many cattle is an offense. Few youth of the village promised us they would stop such trucks if they come across any.............way to go!!!
We told them about the entire episode of cattle trafficking and they were all shocked. This is the problem: people are not aware that carrying so many cattle is an offense. Few youth of the village promised us they would stop such trucks if they come across any.............way to go!!!
The first truck being spotted and stopped. We made the driver park on the service lane. We waited for the rest to arrive. We could manage only 4 trucks as the truckers got info that we were stopping them. They took an alternate route.
We later found that another 17 trucks traveled on a different route. One way, we are happy we could stop 4 trucks, but also very sad that we missed the rest......... Next time :)
We later found that another 17 trucks traveled on a different route. One way, we are happy we could stop 4 trucks, but also very sad that we missed the rest......... Next time :)
The police is taking count of the number of cattle on the truck. The cleaner is so ignorant and insensitive, he inflicts pain to the animals by standing on them while trying to lift a fallen cattle by its tail.
This is how they abuse throughout the journey in order to make the fallen animal stand up...............sick morons!
This is how they abuse throughout the journey in order to make the fallen animal stand up...............sick morons!
The first truck about to be unloaded. Happiness at last.
Can u imagine, this truck had 44 cattle in it? Heights of abuse and cruelty.
Police escorted us throughout the journey. Well done All.
Can u imagine, this truck had 44 cattle in it? Heights of abuse and cruelty.
Police escorted us throughout the journey. Well done All.
Portion of the rescued cattle taking their due rest. The kind hearted Gausala people gave fresh water to quench their thirst and offered them fresh grass for feeding and our cattle loved it. They had their stomach full and took a quite nap :)
Sadly, for two calves PFCI's help came too late
PFCI is making headlines!
To read the article online, please click here!
Excellent news:
The authorities in Tamil Nadu finally woke up and took action
to stop illegal cattle trafficking!
29 trucks have been stopped by the police and about 1,000 cattle have been rescued!
January 22, 2013 - CM of Tamilnadu took a great step to stop the illegal trafficking of cattle: she ordered the police department of Tamilnadu to take action yesterday evening and the police implemented it all over Tamilnadu.
PFCI-members who were on spot have just confirmed that 29 trucks have been stopped and about 1,000 cattle have been rescued!
All the cattle will be sent to government registered animal shelters under the supervision of the district collector.
Today is a great day for PFCI and a huge step has been made towards ending illegal cattle trafficking in their country.
Today is a day to celebrate ♡
PFCI-members who were on spot have just confirmed that 29 trucks have been stopped and about 1,000 cattle have been rescued!
All the cattle will be sent to government registered animal shelters under the supervision of the district collector.
Today is a great day for PFCI and a huge step has been made towards ending illegal cattle trafficking in their country.
Today is a day to celebrate ♡
Note:
The texts that we have added below the pictures, are the words of People for Cattle in India.
If you like to post an encouraging comment for PFCI, please do so on their original album on Facebook, here.
If you are from India, and interested in getting involved in future actions and rescues,
please get in touch with PFCI via Facebook.
If you want to get in touch with PFCI by email, please use Facebook Mail
Thank you!
If you like to post an encouraging comment for PFCI, please do so on their original album on Facebook, here.
If you are from India, and interested in getting involved in future actions and rescues,
please get in touch with PFCI via Facebook.
If you want to get in touch with PFCI by email, please use Facebook Mail
Thank you!
PFCI raids illegal slaughterhouse
in Kothandam Nagar, Chromepet in Chennai
Text by PFCI:
This is the place we raided, this picture was taken few days before we executed the raid. On Feb 17, a group of volunteers from PFCI (People for Cattle in India) raided an illegal slaughterhouse at Kothandam Nagar, Chromepet in Chennai.
The slaughterhouse has been functioning illegally, without proper license for decades, breaking several laws with respect to slaughter of animals while also creating pollution hazards for the residents of the area and food contamination hazards for consumers of the meat.
Also, cows and calves were being slaughtered, which is illegal. None of the animals butchered had the necessary veterinary certificate authorizing them to be slaughtered. There are no proper financial records for any transaction in the trade thereby inviting offenses under relevant sections of the income tax as well.
The PFCI volunteers noticed at least 30-40 carcasses of animals already slaughtered, apart from around 28 animals that were still alive.
Only one of the six meat shops had a licence
to operate - to sell, not butcher!
The Hindu wrote:
A rancid stench pervades the road to Karikottai Kothandanagar in Chromepet.
Here the earth is filled with blood and bone dust that trail off with rainwater, while horns and hooves lie dumped in one corner. Carcasses covered in tarpaulin lie on one side, a stunned calf too lies there, almost dead, while two men work on a slaughtered cow with knives.
The centre of these activities is an almost 80-year-old open slaughterhouse. On Sunday, around 5 a.m., when the Chromepet police, egged by animal activists, entered the place, activity was at its peak.
Only one of the six meat shops had a licence to operate, and that too, only to sell meat. After the raid, the Chromepet police registered a case against three persons who ran the slaughter business, under various offences of Tamil Nadu Animal Prevention Act.
The carcasses were confiscated and sent for post-mortem. “Meat shops cannot be used to slaughter animals,” said S. Muralitharan, an animal activist.
The Tamil Nadu Animal Prevention Act mandates all animals be certified with ‘fit-for-slaughter’ certificate before slaughter. The certificate is given if the animal is over 10 years of age and unfit for work and breeding.
On Sunday, at least six calves and twenty cows lay bound in various rooms. The way meat is stored here and disposed as waste completely violates the rules laid down by the municipality, said G. Arun of the People for Cattle in India, the organisation that spearheaded the Sunday morning crackdown.
The sights at the venue are a testimony to his observation. Animal parts overflow from small buckets kept on the sides, and are sent to markets whenever needed. Discarded parts are dumped on the other side of the wall.
Dogs, crows and barefooted children roam nearby. The waste is cleared just once in six months when the stench gets unbearable, residents say.
Nearly 200 butcher families reside in the area. “We have been here all our lives, for almost four generations. There is nothing else we can do to earn a livelihood,” says Anandamma (62), a resident.
Wednesday and Saturday nights are when the maximum quantity of cattle, mostly from Kancheepuram, are slaughtered. Carcasses hang from giant hooks on the ceiling of a dingy store room.
“We supply to almost nine Tasmac shops and 25 chicken centres in the area. With a lot of migrant construction workers coming to this area, beef is in much demand. Price of chicken has gone up,” says a butcher.
Chromepet municipality health officials say checks had been carried out at the slaughter house a few months ago. Those who violated safety and hygiene norms were warned. There was also a recent notification from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
“Officials may fear the backlash from butchers’ families. But that does not mean they turn a blind eye to the gross violations here,” says an activist.
Another activist S.V. Badri said, “It is unfortunate that in a State where cows are given for free as a welfare measure, they are also being illegally transported and slaughtered.”
Besides quick arrests of those responsible, the activists have also demanded a thorough investigation in the case. “We saw at least 28 animals there in the morning but by noon, they had been taken away. Only immediate action can ensure some of them are rescued,” says Mr. Arun.
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