Muslim milkmen want ban on cow slaughter

Dairy owner Daulat Ali Ghosi feels there should a complete ban on slaughtering of cows and buffaloes. The chief of the association of Muslim milkmen in Lucknow says cows give them their bread and butter and are the least complicated and low-maintenance animals. If cows would be slaughtered, where would milk come from, he asks.

While politicians are busy trading barbs on cow slaughter and cow protection, the All India Muslim Ghosi Association (AIMGA), a body of Lucknow-based Muslim ghosis or milkmen, has not only demanded a total ban on cow slaughter but also announced the formation of a 'Gau Seva Dal' for the protection and upkeep of the bovine population.
"Owing to large-scale slaughtering, there is a gradual decline in the headcount of bovine population. As a result, the purchasing cost of cattle has gone up by almost 15% in the past couple of years," said Ali. He added that this would reflect in the sky-rocketing of prices of milk and other dairy products in the future.
On Tuesday, Ali announced the formation of Gau Seva Dal in all the districts of the state. The body would keep a close watch on cattle which tends to go astray and accidentally falls into pits or wells.
"After a cow fell into a well in Aishbagh on Saturday, we have decided to form mobile teams which would keep a watch on cattle and immediately rescue them if the need arises," Ali said.
The association is also planning to tag cattle in general and cows in particular after the Dadri lynching incident, so that there is no room for miscommunication.
"The members of the All India Muslim Ghosi Association have also urged the state government to help them get collective insurance of all cows in the state," Ali said, and added that the association had already sent a letter in this regard to the state government earlier. It was hopeful of a positive action on the part of the UP government, he said.