STOP Cow slaughtering in India -

India is set to emerge as the world's leading beef exporter this year, the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service has forecast. India will ship roughly 1.5 million tonnes of beef in 2012, surpassing current top exporter Australia, according to the USDA report. That is more than double the exports India logged three years ago.

According to the report, global beef production in 2012 will be virtually unchanged from the last forecast of 57 million tonnes. Global exports, however, are expected to increase by 497,000 tonnes to a record 8.7 million tonnes. India is seen accounting for 250,000 tonnes of the incremental exports, with additional export-oriented slaughterhouses expected to come on line this year. Exports account for 44% of beef production in the country. The growth in exports thus underpins production increases.

For all that, Indian beef is not really beef as say the Americans know it — not a patch on Angus. It is water buffalo — and males and unproductive females at that — which exporters sell at lower cost to the meat-hungry, but price-sensitive consumers in the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia.

Slaughter of cows and milk-producing buffaloes is banned under Indian laws. But the USDA still counts it all as beef, and economically, it competes in the same markets, the report said. To its credit, deboned frozen buffalo meat, also called carabeef, from India is lean and has positive blending characteristics important to processors. As per the most recent livestock census, conducted in 2007, buffaloes comprise a third of the bovine herd in India.

We are strongly opposing cow slaughtering in India, beef export as well.

It is observed that APEDA might know that animals are being shifted under very heavy stress, pain, injury and sufferings towards slaughter houses violating the Cattle Transport Rules, 1978 amended in 2001 with out pre transport permit as required under section 96 of the said Rules, where as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 also ignored by the Abattoirs registered with APEDA.

Hence you are humbly requested to direct all concerned to obey the above said legal procedures and issue orders, circulars for strict compliance under intimation to the OIPA in India and following information may kindly be supplied:

1. Cow, Oxen and calves slaughtering is illegal along with the slaughtering of milking / breeding buffaloes. Is there any order, circular issued for strict compliance to all concerned, if yes then supply me the copy, if No then why?

2. Beef consumption in domestic and beef / veal export is increasing day by day from India, how many registered Abattoirs are slaughtering Cow, Oxen and calves for beef and veal?

3. Withdraw the proposal of 25 new slaughter houses and up gradation of 25 existing slaughter houses in India.

4. Amend the definition of animal delete cow at once from the Meat Food Products Order, 1973 of the Ministry

of Food Processing Industries

Kindly refer to the Meat Food Products Order, 1973 of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Please supply me the following information under RTI Act, 2005:

1. Whether cow can be allowed to slaughter under the Meat Food Products Order, 1973 because cow can be slaughtered as per the definition of animals, please see Hindi version?

2. We demands immediate deletion of cow from the definition of animals because Ministry can’t keep holy cows in the category and at par with Poultry, which hurts our sentiments. Please supply us the copy of corrected legislations.

3. Is there any proposal to set up 25 new slaughter houses and up gradation of 25 existed slaughter houses, if yes then please supply us the complete list of both and what are the reasons behind to set up 25 new, in which area, by whom and which 25 existed are proposed for modernization?

4. Do you know that animals are being badly abused during their transportation towards slaughter houses in goods transport vehicles? If yes then supply us the instruction, guidelines issued by your Ministry to minimize the stress, pain, injury and suffering to the animals.

5. Do you know that animals are being overcrowded during their shifting in goods transport vehicles with out obtaining pre transport permit as required under section 96 of the Cattle Transport Rules, 1978 amended in 2001?, if yes then supply us the copy of directions issued to all concerned for strict compliance of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 along with rules made out as per section 38 of the said legislation’s.

6. Do you know that Slaughter houses are not obeying the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001? If yes then supply us the inspection reports of all existed slaughter houses.

7. Please supply us the complete list of beef and veal exporters from India, where these animals are being slaughtered?

8. Do you know that your Ministry website insulted State Emblem of India and same can be prosecuted under the law of the land: Because state emblem of India placed with out devnagiri word ‘Satyamev Jayete’.

We demands immediate declaration of cow - oxen be Indian domestic animals, to protect their species.