Good Sense

Good sense appears to have prevailed at last. With a fresh set of draught rules to replace last year's poorly conceived ones, the center has sought to withdraw the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. The draught rules are now open for comments and suggestions. When the Union Ministry for Environment, Forests and Climate Change notified the rules under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on May 23, 2017, there was concern that in the name of preventing cruelty to animals and regulating livestock markets, the government was surreptitiously throttling the cattle trade and furthering the BJP's cow protection agenda. The rules were criticized for restricting legitimate animal trade and interfering with dietary habits.