Cow slaughter: Activists move Supreme Court for lifting ban

Thirty Maharashtra-based social activists have moved the Supreme Court for a direction to lift the ban on cattle slaughter in the state.

In a special leave petition against a judgment of the Bombay high court upholding the ban under the amended Maharashtra Animals Preservation (Amend-ment) Act, 2015, the petitioners Swatija Paranjpe and others contended that the ban violated Article 21 of the Constitution, viz “one’s right to choose his/her food”, and “supply of essential proteins”.

They said that if the ban is allowed to continue, it would have an impact on all states where cow slaughter or beef-eating is banned.

They have also pointed out that those who consume beef as a part of their regular diet are predominantly from the lower socio-economic strata of society, and are predominantly members of the SC/ST and Muslim communities, and therefore the effect of restriction on access to cheap and nutritious food that is a part of their regular diet is extraordinarily intense and cannot be legally sustained.

The petition coming up for hearing on 22 August said, “No person can be compelled to eat what he or she does not wish to eat as an alternative source of food, since the right to eat food of one’s choice is part of the fundamental right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution (right to life). Beef is known to contain protein which is necessary for human survival and is an affordable form of food which cannot be denied to those who wish to eat it. The petition pleaded for the quashing of the HC judgment and a direction to Maharashtra government to lift the ban on cow slaughter.

The direct impact of prohibiting the slaughter of bulls and bullocks is to deny access to beef for the purpose of human consumption, thus denying the right under Article 21,” the petition said.

The petition pleaded for the quashing the high court judgment and a direction to Maharashtra government to lift the ban on cow slaughter.