On November 27 when the Karnataka animal husbandry minister Prabhu Chavan announced that his government would move "100 per cent" on the anti-slaughter, the writing was on the wall. The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) was passed in the Assembly on December 9. The revised Bill prescribes a ban on all forms of cattle slaughter with stringent punishment for offenders including fines extending up to Rs 5 lakh and seven years of imprisonment. Also, transporting cattle across States would be prohibited under the law.
The legislation in Karnataka will have a direct implication on the Goa market since it relies heavily on beef imports from neighbouring Belagavi. Against the political blame-game, the fact is it leaves the State in a helpless situation because the Goa government cannot influence proceedings of the Karnataka legislative assembly or the laws of their State. Politicos who are targetting the Goa government are only trying to rake up communal sentiments invoking Christmas festivities. Understandably, the Karnataka government is going to capitalize on this legislation and consolidate its vote banks ahead of the forthcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
While Goa is not in a position to force a change or seek concessions on the legislation, at best, the Sawant government could have opened up a channel of discussion to ensure that trade is resumed in the interim period till the ban comes in force. The supply has abruptly stopped even before the ban because officials fear being penalised, and are not ready to issue hygiene and fitness certificates for slaughter.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant can appeal to his counterpart in Karnataka to allow beef trade till the Governor gives the accent. The Bill is yet to get the nod of the Upper House of the Legislative Council. Against the backdrop of the political activity happening in Karnataka legislature, the law may take some time to come into force, probably beyond New Year's Day. Goa could use this window to tide over the festive season and also use this short period to make alternative arrangements.
In the meanwhile, the blame game in Goa must stop. The traders have to look for imports from alternative markets across India. Belagavi had its advantages because it was in the neighbourhood and was easily accessible, and traders benefited because of the low cost of transportation. Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura and West Bengal are options, besides Delhi but logistics and costs need to be worked out because it would affect the pricing.
The Goa CM has given an assurance that arrangements will be made, but there is nothing concrete announced. With over three weeks lost in just watching Karnataka moving ahead with the ban, the question is how long will Sawant take now.
