Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury on Sunday sought West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s intervention on the state government’s public notice on animal slaughter guidelines, as it had caused “confusion and agitation”, especially among the minority community in Murshidabad district.
In a letter to Adhikari, Chowdhury said the public notification issued by the state government on May 13 regarding adherence to ‘animal slaughter guidelines’ had caused confusion and unrest in Murshidabad, where the minority community constitutes the majority population.
Proposing a practical solution, Chaudhry asked the Prime Minister to direct the Murshidabad district administration to identify and demarcate specific locations where people can practice customs related to their religious faith.
“Such designated and demarcated locations would be used only for customary practices associated with a religious gathering. This approach would be an ideal solution to allay the anxiety that the notice may cause,” he wrote.
The May 13 notification reiterates that slaughter of male and female bulls, calves, cows, calves or buffaloes cannot be carried out without an officially issued fitness certificate, which can only be granted jointly by the mayor or sabhapati of the panchayat samiti with a government veterinary surgeon.
According to the notification, such a certificate may only be granted if both authorities record in writing that the animal is over 14 years of age for work or breeding purposes, or has become permanently incapacitated by age, injury, deformity or incurable disease.
Pointing out that West Bengal is a state with diverse groups and communities following diverse cultural traditions and religious practices, Chowdhury said that enabling people from different communities to practice their social and religious customs without any apprehensions is essential.
“I look forward to your intervention so that the anxiety and confusion happening in the region can be put to an end,” he said in the letter addressed to Adhikari.
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