Cow slaughter is NOT a original Muslim religious practice

Cow slaughter is NOT a original Muslim religious practice. In fact, the Arabian Peninsula hardly has any cows. So, slaughtering cows is NOT a religious obligation in Islam. The only reason Muslims slaughter cows in the Indian subcontinent, is because it creates psychological domination over the Hindus. Islam is a hunter-grabber ideology and cow-slaughter has a important social message. It essentially tells a Hindu villager that he is powerless to protect anyone, whether the cow or his mother or sister.



So, in its landmark judgement (dated 2 Nov 2011 and 13 Oct 2011), the Honorable Calcutta High Court banned cow slaughter during Eid. 


The High Court’s division bench of Chief Justice JN Patel and Justice Asim Ray termed the practice of killing cows and their progeny for religious purposes as unlawful. This judgment came after Mr. Enamul Haque, Mr.Abhijit Das and others had filed a Public Interest Litigation, (vide Case No. AST-725 of 2010) in the High Court on 11 October 2010 - with Advocates M.M.Qureshi and Joydip Roy representing the petitioners.


The High Court ordered the authorities to implement the provisions of West Bengal Animal Slaughter (Control) Act, 1950 and if any instance of cow slaughter on Bakri-Eid is brought to their notice, they should take cognizance and act in accordance with the law. 

The Calcutta High Court categorically stated that “the officials of the State and local bodies have no power to facilitate holding of markets for trading of cattle for sacrifice and also the movement of cattle for the said purpose on the occasion of Id-uz-Zoha”. 

The Supreme Court of India reiterated that “sacrifice of a cow on Bakr id Day is NOT an obligatory overt act for a Musalman to exhibit his religious belief and ideas”. In many occasions the apex court directed that “such slaughter cannot be a religious purpose because it is NOT a part of religious requirement for the Musalmans..” 


Unfortunately, the Officers-in-Charge of Usthi Police Station, Joynagar Police Station and Falta Police Station (all in South 24 Parganas district) are behaving like a law unto themselves. They are intimidating and forcing poor Scheduled Caste villagers to support and make arrangements for slaughtering of cows on the Bakr-Eid day which falls on October 27, 2012 – during Durga Puja festival). They have vividly threatened renowned social workers who are only helping the villagers to submit a memorandum (requesting the implementation of the verdict of the High Court and Supreme Court) with mass signatures to the government authorities in a completely peaceful, democratic and legal manner.


Special mention must be made of the biased and communal mindset of Mrs. Papiya Sultana, Deputy Superintendent of Police, (Falta Zone) who has been aggressively arm-twisting the villagers of Pianjganj to meekly accept cow slaughter or face dire consequences. Playing fiddle to her communal agenda is her subordinate officer Mr. Sudip Singh (Officer-in-Charge, Usthi Police Station). They are determined and adamant to allow and help slaughtering cows in Pianjganj village for the first time. 


To preempt any action by the poor villagers (who seek the implementation of the Supreme Court and High Court judgements), the administration is taking all legal and illegal steps to threaten and scare the Pianjganj villagers who are Scheduled Castes and therefore backward and illiterate. 


These errant officers are repeatedly calling these hapless villagers to Usthi police station, verbally threatening them, raiding their houses at night (10.30 pm), and ultimately serving them legal notice (slapping criminal case) totally without any reason or incident, only to scare them and make them to stay outside the village. There is no ground for these untoward and unwarranted steps on behalf of the local administration.