Stray cattle ‘eating’ ruling party’s votes in India’s crucial provincial polls

By Ahmad Adil

MUZAFFARNAGAR / NEW DELHI, India (AA) – As India's most populous province of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is in the middle of choosing provincial assembly, the incumbent Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led government is facing a unique issue – the herds of cattle roaming in villages destroying crops of farmers.

While traveling across the large swath of farmlands in UP, villagers told Anadolu Agency that stray cattle have made their lives difficult and they keep them on their toes round the clock to save crops.

Even as the slaughtering of cows and their progeny were banned in the province, the mobs lynching people with mere suspicion of possessing beef has led villagers to abandon unproductive cattle instead of selling them to slaughterhouses.

Near the Shamli village in western UP -- known for growing sugarcane, 63-year-old Sohan Singh said his family had to spend time in the fields round the clock to keep the stray cattle away.

"Not only once, twice, but multiple times a bull has destroyed my crops," said Singh.

He said his son is forced to spend freezing winter nights in the fields to save the crop.

As per the 2019 Livestock Census, the province has 1.6 million stray cows -- a substantial increase in stray cattle population in the state over the last few years.

While the number of stray bulls is more in the western part of the state, the number of cows is more in the eastern side.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Gauri Shankar, a farm leader in the state's Bundelkhand district said the issue has turned out to be a big problem for the state.

"It is an issue of survival now. If we don't take care of it, farmers are suffering losses up to 60 %," he said.

He said although the government has made Gaushala (cow shelters), the cattle there are not properly taken care of and they suffer a lack of fodder.

- Economic liability

He also said that it is difficult for a farmer to continue to feed a cow after it stops giving milk.

"When it becomes an economic liability for the farmer, they abandon them. Once they are let loose, they go to the fields and destroy the farmer's productions," said Shankar. We have to keep someone at the field to ensure our crops remain safe,” he added.

The government is paying 30 Indian rupees ($0.40) to villagers to take care of a cow, but the amount is not reaching properly to the ground.

In several villages, people said the issue of stray cattle may hurt the ruling party's prospectus. In the 2017 election, people had voted for BJP, in the rural areas.

Locals said cow shelter caretakers demand money when farmers hand over their cattle to them.

"They don't get fodder properly because the number of stray cattle is huge. In many cases, cattle die because of such conditions. This problem is the prime issue among the voters this time,” said Mohan Lal, in Meerut district.

Sanjay Singh associated with Parmarth -- a non-governmental organization, which is working on farmer-related issues -- told Anadolu Agency that the problem has increased over the years under the BJP government.

- Poll promises

With the elections campaigning in its last leg, the issue is finding space in the speeches of prominent leaders.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week said that once his party is voted again to power, he will solve the issue.

"A new system will be made after March 10 to deal with the problems that you people face due to stray animals. A system will be made so that you can earn income from the dung of an animal that does not give milk," he said.

The state government, last week, however, said that it is fully sensitive to the conservation of cattle and claimed the government has done remarkable work.

It also said that at present, out of 572 cow shelters run by registered self-help groups, 394 are active. The government also said 44 out of the total 75 districts in the state have been certified free of abandoned animals.