SHILLONG, July 20: The much-debated Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 passed by Assam continues to goad stakeholders in Meghalaya, primarily due to its ‘contentious’ provisions related to transport of cattle.
The Opposition Congress has suggested that the Meghalaya government should come up with its own law to ensure uninterrupted transport of beef to Meghalaya in view of Assam’s brand-new Bill.
Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh, on Tuesday, said that if the state does not come up with such a law, there will be a lot of hardships in the future.
Stating that it is worrisome to see that the neighboring state is coming up with a law that involves and touches the transportation of food that is being seen as a staple diet of a state, Lyngdoh added: “If one state has come up with a bill, Act or a law, then the corresponding state, I feel, should have its own law so that we protect the interest of the people at large”.
“We respect the religious sentiments of all political parties and of citizens across the nation but this is a part of our life and if you are going to restrict the passage of cattle for whatever reasons as per your own understanding, then the government of Meghalaya should also come up with a bill that is the only way we can get assurance that there will be no disruption of our food habit,” she said.
She observed that the sooner the Meghalaya government does the needful, the better it is going to be.
Lyngdoh predicted that this issue will be storming the Assembly session in the future and hence pressed the government to look into it.
The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC), on the other hand, has submitted a memorandum to Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong pointing out a certain section of the said Bill, which, it claims, is in contravention of the Constitution of India.
Flagging concern over the issue, the HYC has expressed fears that the Bill may even interfere with the livelihood, rearing, and consumption of meat products in Meghalaya.
Ever since the Bill was tabled in Assam State Assembly, different pressure groups as well as butchers’ associations here have raised their concerns.
HYC, on Tuesday, asked the Meghalaya government to intervene and take necessary steps in addressing the concerns.
The organisation met Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, in charge of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary department, and submitted the memorandum.
Speaking to pressmen after meeting Tynsong, HYC president Robertjune Kharjahrin said that Section 7 of the Cattle Preservation Bill 2021 is in contravention of the Indian Constitution as “Inter State Trade and Commerce” falls under List 42 of the Union List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and no state has the authority to regulate interstate trade and commerce except by the rule of law passed by Parliament.
“This provision also affects the federal power of the state of Meghalaya which is serious in nature. The fact that even transportation of buffaloes is regulated by Assam as stated in the Bill, it is implied that the spirit of the Bill goes beyond appealing the religious sentiments of the Hindus in the state of Assam and if this kind of policy by neighbourhood state is allowed, it will have a far-reaching impact in the near future as Assam may also regulate and prohibit the supply of other food items and other goods to the state which will in turn greatly affect the livelihood and economy of the state as Assam is the only gateway to Meghalaya,” Kharjahrin added.
Agreeing that that no cattle should be Illegally sold to Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries, the group, however, maintained that Section 7 of the Bill puts a restriction on the movement of cattle from any place in India through Assam to be transported to any other state and it also restricts transportation of cattle to any state where slaughter is not regulated by such state.
“This provision is a cause for concern to the movement of beef, buffalo and cattle to our State even for agricultural purposes as beef consumption is common in the State and Assam being the gateway for transportation of goods to the State, such a legislation will have a far sighted impact on the food habit and the economy of the State as a whole,” Kharjahrin added.
Meghalaya procures cattle from many other states in India such as West Bengal, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, which are then transported to the state through Assam.
Lastly, the group also raised concerns over ‘high possibility’ of religion-based organisations or some fringe groups disturbing and restricting movement of vehicles transporting cattle through Assam to Meghalaya.
It may be recalled that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had earlier maintained that the state government would move the Centre if this Bill of Assam government hampers the people and the economy of Meghalaya by affecting transit of cattle to Meghalaya from other states.
The Assam Cattle Preservation Bill 2021, which was tabled on the inaugural day of the budget session of Assam Assembly, proposes to prohibit transportation of cattle from any place within Assam to places outside the state as well as ban such transportation from places outside Assam to any place within the state.
