New Delhi: The draft Livestock bill, which was put up on the website of the animal husbandry and dairying ministry for public scrutiny on 7 June, has riled animal lovers and activists, who took to social media Saturday to express concerns of it resulting in animal cruelty and to demand the bills’s withdrawal. Activists are also opposing the inclusion of canines and felines in the list of livestock.
The Live-stock and Live-stock products (Importation and Exportation) Bill, 2023 — the last date to submit suggestions/objections to which is 17 June — is a “re-enactment” of the present Live-stock Importation Act, 1898, and Live-stock Importation (Amendment) Act of 2001.
According to the draft bill, the new proposed law is aimed at framing “measures for the regulation of the importation of live-stock and live-stock products as well as promotion and development of exports of livestock and live-stock products”.
Opposing the bill, activists say that this will open floodgates for unregulated, large scale import and export of animals and also spoil the gene pool of native animals.
A hashtag, #saynotolivestockbill2023, was started on Twitter Saturday, and several celebrities, including actor Jaya Bhattacharya, Divya Seth, Jain leader Acharya Lokesh Muni, among others have spoken against the bill and asked people to oppose it.
“#SAYNOTOLIVESTOCKBILL2023 No our Felines and Canines aren’t a commodity. Don’t start a massacre that will create more havoc in their lives. Instead of passing bills to create safety for their lives this!!!!??? Where are we headed to Kindly STOP @PMOIndia @Min_FAHD @Dept_of_AHD,” actor Jaya Bhattacharya tweeted.
Amita Singh, a retired JNU professor, tweeted, “Withdraw this bill immediately. It’s most anti-national, mindless and whimsical 2023 Bill for importation and exportation of livestock and other animals including cats, dogs, birds etc.”
In an audio message which was tweeted by animal welfare groups and activists, Zeenat Aman said, “I’m requesting each one of you to participate in today’s Twitterthon in protest of a move that will legalise live animal transport with all its horrific cruelty. …. Tweet as much and as often as you can to say no to the livestock bill 2023.”
ThPrint has reached former Union minister and animal rights activists Maneka Gandhi on text message. The copy will be updated when a response is received.
While activists are opposing it, government officials said that regulations will be formulated later on.
Tarun Sridhar, former secretary, animal husbandry and dairying, said, “This is only an ‘enabling’ law, meaning thereby that it contains no law but merely enables the government to put in place appropriate regulations etc. Such regulations are not only desirable but also essential for bio-security and preservation of indigenous bio-diversity. I can’t fathom what the opposition could be. Further, requirements of biosecurity keep changing, therefore, the government must have the flexibility in law to issue regulation and restrictions from time to time.”
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‘Increase disease risk’
Talking about the bill, animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi said, “Any import or export of animals as commodities is cruel upon them. A large number of native animals are being exported to climates that are not conducive to them. A large number of animals are being imported and this spoils the native gene pool of the livestock of all varieties and this has been established by the ministry of animal husbandry long back.”
She added that this bill, if enacted, will only increase the disease risk.
“This will exponentially increase the disease risk as all kinds of diseases and viruses will get exchanged. We don’t see any long-term benefit, either economically or environmentally. Even from an animal welfare point of view, we don’t see any benefit in promoting livestock import and export,” Maulekhi said.
The central government has said that this is bill will replace the existing Live-stock importation Act, 1898, which was amended in 2001 (Live-stock Importation (Amendment) Act of 2001) which are aimed at maintaining “biosecurity of the country” by preventing the ingress of exotic diseases through livestock and livestock products.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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