Guwahati: The just tabled cow legislation in Assam might affect the recent 'saffron growth' in India's northeast, where beef is a delicacy among the large tribal and Christian communities. The timing of introducing the bill might also be a cause of worry for the saffron party as three non-BJP states in the region including Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram are scheduled for assembly polls in 2023.
As the BJP led government in Assam has introduced the Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 in the Assembly on Monday seeking to regulate the slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle, the northeastern states are apprehensive that it will not only affect the people of the states but also affect the states' economy to a large extent.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday tabled the Cattle Preservation Bill, 2021 in the House which is likely to be passed during the ongoing budget session of the House. Apart from imposing restrictions on slaughter and consumption of cattle, the Bill also seeks to regulate the transportation of the cattle to check the illegal smuggling of the cattle to neighbouring Bangladesh.
However, the ban on transportation of cattle through Assam is likely to affect other northeastern states like Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura as Assam is not only the source but also the transit route for the cattle import to these states.
Also read: Assam CM introduces bill to ban cow slaughter, check cattle smuggling
Although Christian Majority states like Nagaland and Mizoram are yet to react to this new cow legislation in Assam, Meghalaya Chief Minister has already stated that they would seek the Centre's intervention if the Bill in Assam affects the people and economy of Meghalaya.
While the opposition Congress and All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam have expressed their apprehension over the proposed legislation, the Nagaland Congress has termed the development in Assam as a threat to the inherent trade and food habits of the northeastern region.
"It is a threat to peaceful coexistence," said Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee President K Therie while adding that the Bill is an imitation of the cow protection bill in mainland India. "However, we cannot change our culture and food habits to suit the mainlands, we need to be tolerant," Therie said.
"Assam has the right to make its own law but the government should not forget that we are a union of states and we are economically interdependent," he added.
It may be mentioned here that cow slaughter is not banned in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. It is only regulated in Assam under a fit to slaughter certificate issued by a veterinarian. Although the then Maharaja of Manipur banned beef in 1939, it was hardly enforced leading to free consumption of the beef.
Also read: Assam govt should have banned cow slaughter completely: VHP General Secretary
While the BJP is in power in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura, the saffron party is yet to strengthen its grip in states like Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya. While the saffron party had won only one seat in the assembly polls of Mizoram in 2018, the party could win two and 12 seats in Meghalaya and Nagaland assembly polls held the same year.
With the region's three non-BJP states - Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland, heading for election in 2023 and Manipur heading for election next year, it is worth watching how the saffron party manages to handle the cow legislation and the probable repercussions to be emanated from implementing the same in Assam.
