In 2015, BJP leader and Union minister Kiren Rijiju had famously rebuÂked a party colleague for suggesting that those who eat beef should go to Pakistan. 바카라I eat beef, I바카라m from Arunachal Pradesh바카라Šcan somebody stop me?바카라 Rijiju had said in resÂponse to Mukhtar AbbÂas Naqvi바카라s comments. Four years later, India바카라s Northeast is running short of beef. Not because of the ruling BJP바카라s clampdown on cow slaughter, like in the rest of the country, but due to rampant smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh.
Beef is a stapleÂ바카라kosher as well despite the raging debate over it바카라in the Northeast, especially in the Christian-majority MegÂhalaya, Mizoram and NagaÂland. In Arunachal Pradesh too, beef is consumed by almost all the tribal communities, besides the large Muslim population in Assam. An estimated 70 per cent of the beef comes from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Gujarat to the Northeast. The rest is sourced locÂally. The eight NE states need more than 1.5 lakh kg of beef a day.
Beef has not yet assumed religious connotations in the region, though Assam and Tripura바카라two Hindu-majoÂrity states바카라have seen attacks by right-wing groups on suspected cattle traders and beef-sellers. Even Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh of the BJP has said his government had no intention of banning beef in the state, where the majority community, Meiteis, are devÂout Vaishnavite Hindus.
Traders say despite the demand in the region, illegal trade to Bangladesh is on the rise as the smugglers earn a better price바카라almost double바카라in the neighbouring country. 바카라It바카라s getting very difficult. We are getting infirm, ill, and old cattle from suppliers in Bihar and UP. The young and healthy livestock is getting smuÂggled into BanÂgladesh via Assam,바카라 says Arun Lyngdoh, president of the All India Livestock Traders and Transporters Association. Assam shares a 262-km border with Bangladesh, a considerable portion of which is riverine and porous.
A major reason for the recent crisis, traders say, is the Assam government바카라s failure to streamline the legal cattle business. 바카라We want the illegal smuggling of cattle through the Indo-Bangladesh border to be curbed but at the same time, the Assam government should take steps to ensure that legal transportation of cattle is not hampered,바카라 says Lyngdoh.
Recently, the Assam government put a temporary ban on cattle transportation from UP and Bihar as a step towards curbing smuggling to BanglaÂdesh. The move has aggravated the regÂion바카라s beef shortage.
Munna Saikia, the general secretary of the traders바카라 association, says that the cattle smuggling syndicate even lures the local cattle traders to boost their business. 바카라This is happening because of the lack of awareness among the people and the traders. The government too has failed to create awareness. As a result, the illegal syndicate is running a multi-crore-rupee business and those doing legal trade are in the red. The consumers are victims of this nexus. They are not getting no meat. The government is losing revenue,바카라 Saikia says.
바카라We support the government바카라s initiative to stop illegal transportation...But at the same time we demand that legal business shouldn바카라t be stopped,바카라 he pleads. The association has sought legalisation of cattle trade with Bangladesh to ensÂure revenue in taxes and levies to the government exchequer.
Last month, Assam Police arrÂested the alleged lynchpin of the racket, Mohammed SharÂfaraz, in Gopalganj district of Bihar. Director general of polÂice Kuladhar Saikia says all the districts have been put on alert and special teams have been formed to combat smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh. Guwahati commissioner of police, DeeÂpak Kumar, says Sharfaraz used to be the main man behind this racket. 바카라Police are working to nab the other culprits who have been running the smuggling syndicate,바카라 Kumar says.
The Sangh Parivar too says the government must take strict action to end the cattle smuggling across the border as it is a question of faith. 바카라I think the smuggling has reduced a lot after the BJP government came to power. I would like appeal to the government to bring a complete closure on this. The public vigilance is also important here. No illegal activity should be allowed,바카라 says the RSS바카라s Samparka Pramukh, Ranjeev Kumar Sharma
On the issue of beef consumption, Sharma says that as the Hindus worship the cow, it바카라s against their principle to eat the animal바카라s meat. 바카라In Assam we perform Goru Bihu (dedicated to cattle). Hence, there is no question of killing a cow. We oppose cow slaughter. And everyone must respect it. But at the same time, we are against lynching and attacking someone who eats beef,바카라 he asserts.
By Abdul Gani in Guwahati
