Judgement Dealing With Subject Of Slaughter Of Animals In Light Of Indian Constitution

SR No.: 269193
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: C K Chaturvedi
Publisher: Akhil Bharat Krishi Go Seva Sangh
Total Pages: 40
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 8 MB

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Recently, on 20th September, 1992 The Times of India drew attention towards little known TURTLE. It is an integral part of the ecology and helps to cleanse equatic habitation controls water weeds and supply food to several aquatic and terrestrial life forms including Man. It is reported that its population has greatly depleted for many reasons but the major cause is the big demand for turtle meat in Bengal. It is reported that Turtle marketing is a lucrative enterprise employing trappers, primary and secondary; wholesalers and retailers. Unless, regulated they may get depleted faster than-they can regenerate.
43. From the large animals both wild and domestic, now Man's encroachment in the name of food has descended on insects. It is reported that researches in these are being progressively taken, for tapping them as a source of protein. (See The Hindustan Times dated 6.9.92).
44. The above discussion on the number of animals killed will show that now no animal on earth is spared and is facing extinction at the hands of human beings in various ways.
45.
Returning back to the livestock population the dimension of whose killing are described above, a question naturally arises, as to whether the Government of India, has any estimates on the killings to take a view that still the killings are within the regenerative capacity. The search for answer to this question takes me to a publication of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, entitled "The Wealth of India". The Raw Materials Vol. VI Supplement. Livestock (including poultry) published in 1970- At page 59 it states that there is no reliable data with regards to the number of animals slaughtered for meat. When even in 1970, there was no data, and the statement that meat consumption has been on increase, as mentioned in the Government Publication, and the fact that now meat is produced not only for domestic consumption but on a large scale for exports including exports of live animals; and otherwise deaths occur for natural reasons, not much comfort can be drawn from the often repeated and quoted statement displaying proud that India possess a large number of cattle and buffaloes of 33604 million. The indisputed fact of migration of rural population to urban centres, and gradual giving up of cattle rearing practices, when juxtaposed with the unknown number of animals being killed or slaughtered compels one to emprically conclude that these livestock animal have been marginalised. This is manifested by perennial scarcity of milk. even in rural areas.
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The ecological portends of the impending environment imbalance are thus a writing on the wall. Unless whole killings are regulated, it is not difficult to see that govt. will have to grope in future years, as now is the case with wild life. In my view, large scale indiscriminate hunting is equivalent to planned slaughter, which is planned and clandestine both. Cue to future situation can be taken from the efforts of International Community today to conserve world fisheries, from over exploitation. When the world fisheries, supported by water, which is 3/4 of the earth surface. face crisis by over using, the case of cattle if allowed to remain as it is today can be imagined. Recent liberalisation of ECONOMIC POLICY opening door to the Foreign companies for investment, offer to them a big bite on the Indian animal resources, which is the staple diet of Europe. Given the opportunity, it is not difficult to wipe out entire livestock population in a short period.
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These facts are being mentioned by this Court, with a view to draw the attention of government of the day to this impending crisis, so that it does not grope for solutions in future. What deforestation and indiscriminate hunting and poaching did to the wild life, is being done to livestock population by fast urbanisation, disappearing of green pastures, grazing grounds and of course planned slaughtering.
Such alarmingly high killings of livestock animals, for whatever reasons is destructive of environment. This seems to be a clear result of total freedom availed by peopie to kill an animal. Such a freedom is necessarily to be restricted environmentally by narrowing, confining, channeling
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