PANAJI
The All Goa Beef Traders Association has called for a strike on bringing beef to Goa complaining of harassment by communal elements masked as animal rights activists after yet another consignment of beef bound for markets in Goa was seized by the police based on what the traders say are flimsy grounds.
Speaking to The Goan, Manna Bepari the president of the Association accused the activists and the police of selectively targeting beef eaters and traders.
"Besides this, the proper person to be judging the beef is a veterinary officer and not some activists who have no right to be taking the law into their own hands," Bepari said.
"If the allegations of the activists are true, the proper procedure for the authorities is to take a sample of the meat and send it to the FDA for analysis. In this case, they stop the truck and directly pour phenol over the beef. This is complete harassment," Bepari told The Goan.
The activists are alleging, without citing why they say so, that the beef that is being shipped into Goa is that of cows or calves, a charge Bepari has denied.
He said that they would stop bringing beef into the state from Friday and demanded the intervention of Mauvin Godinho, who he said should call them for a meeting and sort out the matter at the earliest.
"Tomorrow if anybody is carrying a piece of meat home can he be arbitrarily stopped and asked to explain where he got it from?" Bepari said.
"We are aware of the law, of what is allowed to be slaughtered and what is not. In this case, we are only trading in beef that is already slaughtered. If we slaughter an animal on our own it is done at the Goa Meat Complex, if they activists have any doubts they should go and take a look at the slaughterhouses where we are procuring the meat from," Bepari said.
The police have failed to play an independent role has got under the skin of the traders who believe that the
police are acting entirely on behalf of the so-called activists and not independently following the law or the procedures laid down.
The All Goa Beef Traders Association has called for a strike on bringing beef to Goa complaining of harassment by communal elements masked as animal rights activists after yet another consignment of beef bound for markets in Goa was seized by the police based on what the traders say are flimsy grounds.
Speaking to The Goan, Manna Bepari the president of the Association accused the activists and the police of selectively targeting beef eaters and traders.
"Besides this, the proper person to be judging the beef is a veterinary officer and not some activists who have no right to be taking the law into their own hands," Bepari said.
"If the allegations of the activists are true, the proper procedure for the authorities is to take a sample of the meat and send it to the FDA for analysis. In this case, they stop the truck and directly pour phenol over the beef. This is complete harassment," Bepari told The Goan.
The activists are alleging, without citing why they say so, that the beef that is being shipped into Goa is that of cows or calves, a charge Bepari has denied.
He said that they would stop bringing beef into the state from Friday and demanded the intervention of Mauvin Godinho, who he said should call them for a meeting and sort out the matter at the earliest.
"Tomorrow if anybody is carrying a piece of meat home can he be arbitrarily stopped and asked to explain where he got it from?" Bepari said.
"We are aware of the law, of what is allowed to be slaughtered and what is not. In this case, we are only trading in beef that is already slaughtered. If we slaughter an animal on our own it is done at the Goa Meat Complex, if they activists have any doubts they should go and take a look at the slaughterhouses where we are procuring the meat from," Bepari said.
The police have failed to play an independent role has got under the skin of the traders who believe that the
police are acting entirely on behalf of the so-called activists and not independently following the law or the procedures laid down.
