CPI-M's farmers body warns of stir against cattle rules

A farmers' front of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Friday threatened to launch agitations across the country against the Centre's rules on cattle sale and called the Union government "the most anti-farmer ever".

"We will launch mass agitations across the country and also approach the Supreme Court against the rules that prevent sale of cattle for slaughter. In reality, it's a ban on beef eating. How is one supposed to eat meat when one cannot slaughter cattle," All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) General Secretary Hannan Mollah told the media here.

He said the notification of rules is subversion of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which aimed to only protect cattle from unnecessary pain during their transportation.

"The notification says that trading of cattle not meant for agricultural purpose cannot be done in a market place but can be done from farms and houses. This is akin to denying the farmers a bargaining place for their goods... this will further entrench corruption since now so many papers are required for sale and purchase," Mollah said.

The CPI-M member said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, a flagship programme of the central government, was a "total flop".

"It (scheme) has given only 3.31 per cent of the premium collected in 2016-17 by insurance companies, which was Rs 21,500 crore. Of the total claims of Rs 3,270.55 crore for Kharif crop for last year, only claims of Rs 714.14 crore have been disbursed by these companies till now," he said.

The promise of doubling farmers' income by 2020 is turning out to be fraudulent and "was a white lie from the beginning", Mollah said.

He also flayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying 'Modi' word stands for "Murder of Democracy in India".

"He is undermining federalism. He is making a mockery of the Constitution... they have taken away our land... Tamil Nadu is reeling under the worst ever drought but there is no compensation yet," he said.

--IANS

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