Industries that use livestock for food (meat and dairy), leather, manufactured goods and as workhorses generally define what constitutes humane animal husbandry. State legislators typically exempt cattle from animal cruelty laws or codify industry breeding standards into legislation. These “humane” standards allow farmers to remove the horns and tails of cows, sterilize male cattle, and mark livestock. These accepted breeding procedures rarely, if ever, require pet sitters to use painkillers during these painful procedures. In 2021, the Assam Assembly passed a law banning the slaughter or sale of beef within a 5km radius of a temple. The legislation aims to ensure that slaughter permission is not granted to areas mainly inhabited by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and other non-beef-producing communities, or in places within a 5 km radius of a temple, satra and other institution prescribed by the authorities. However, exceptions may be granted for certain religious occasions. [206] [207] Researchers use cattle blood in the laboratory, often for cell cultures. Manufacturers of adhesives, fertilizers and fire extinguishers also sometimes use blood in their products. Sebum, which is a fat obtained from different parts of livestock, is commonly found in shortening and chewing gum; Some industrial oils also contain sebum.
Factories can further refine sebum to extract fatty acids and glycerin, which are then used to make plastics, tires, pencils, soaps, lubricants, herbicides, fishing lines, medicines, rubber, textiles, detergents, jellies, creams, shampoos, conditioners, detergents, aftershaves and many other products. Manufacturers draw collagen from the connective tissue and skin of cattle to produce sealants, bone substitutes, food additives, dressings and other substances. Production facilities can further refine collagen to produce gelatin for food (marshmallows, jellybeans, chewable fruits, caramels, various desserts and dairy products, etc.), cosmetics, and various industries (e.g., photography). Insulin, animal feed, charcoal ash, ceramics, paints and many other products contain processed bovine organs and glands. Humans raise cows for a variety of purposes, so beef cattle farmers raise their cattle to optimize meat production, while dairy farmers raise cows to maximize milk production. There are also ranchers looking for cattle that satisfy the whims of the rodeo industry. Products made from or with livestock parts are everywhere. These products are so ubiquitous that people often interact daily with livestock in one form or another. There are not many laws that oversee the processes that people follow when they raise, raise and ultimately slaughter livestock.
Existing laws generally do more to promote the industry than to protect the welfare of livestock. A growing part of the population is looking for “cruelty-free meat” for their meals, but ignores the fact that many of their leather, plastic, detergent, skin care products and many other purchases come from cattle that live short and miserable lives. State and federal governments can do more to protect the lives of livestock, but so far these leaders have not deemed it appropriate to protect the welfare of livestock almost as much as they consider the industries that exist because of these cattle. In 1958, a lawsuit was filed before the Supreme Court of India over the constitutionality of the state`s slaughter prohibition laws, in which Qureshi demanded that the laws violate the right of Muslims to freely practice their religion, such as sacrificing cows on the day of Bakr Id. [135] The court noted that neither the Qur`an nor the Hidaya prescribe the slaughter of cows, and Islamic texts instead allow the sacrifice of a goat or camel. Therefore, a complete ban on the slaughter of cows does not violate the religious freedom of Muslims under articles 25 or 48 of its Constitution. [135] Several state and union territory (UT) governments have enacted livestock conservation laws in one form or another. Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have no legislation. All other states/UT have enacted laws to prevent the slaughter of cows and their offspring. [187] Kerala is a major consumer of beef and has no regulations on the slaughter of cows and their offspring. As a result, cattle from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are regularly smuggled into Kerala for slaughter. [187] There have been several attacks on cow transporters suspected of transporting cows to the slaughterhouse.
[188] [189] [190] [191] Between May 2015 and May 2017, at least ten Muslims were killed in these attacks. [189] According to Ludwig Alsdorf, “Indian vegetarianism is clearly based on ahimsa (non-violence),” as evidenced by ancient smritis and other ancient texts of Hinduism. He adds that the tenderness and respect for cattle in Hinduism is more than a confession to vegetarianism, it has become an integral part of his theology. [67] According to Juli Gittinger, it is often argued that the sanctity and protection of cows is a fundamental feature of Hinduism, but she sees this as a false claim. [68] This, according to Gittinger, could rather be understood as an example of “Sanskritization” or representation of certain traditions, followed by their upper castes, as a purer and more informed form of Hinduism and perhaps as an influence of Jainism on Hinduism. [68] Respect for cattle is widespread, but not universal. Some Hindus (shaktism) practice animal sacrifice and eat meat, including beef, at certain festivals. According to Christopher Fuller, animal sacrifices among Hindus were rare outside of some eastern states and the Himalayan regions of the Indian subcontinent. [67] [69] For the majority of modern Indians, according to Alsdorf, respect for livestock and lack of respect for slaughter are part of their ethics and there is “no ahimsa without abstaining from meat.” [67] Kerala allows the slaughter of all types of livestock. The slaughter of animals is officially regulated by the government to maintain public health and sanitation.
The laws of the Panchayat allow slaughter only in approved slaughterhouses. [226] Beef accounts for 25% of all meat consumed in Kerala. [227] Beef is sold at butchers, while cattle are traded at weekly markets throughout the state. [228] In addition, it was found that Panchayat is required to supply meat stalls, including those authorized to sell beef. [229] Inspections are required for all beef sold in the United States. The Food Safety and Inspection Department handles all physical inspections for the USDA. The inspection must demonstrate that the beef is intact, healthy and properly labelled. The product must also bear a label with the factory number that performed the inspection. State agencies can set their own inspection and grading standards as long as they are at least as strict as USDA standards. According to a 2016 review by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, India has quickly become the world`s largest beef exporter, accounting for 20 percent of the global beef trade, thanks to its large water buffalo meat processing industry. [1] Investigations at cattle slaughterhouses in India have revealed hygiene and ethical concerns. [44] [45] According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the European Union, India`s per capita per-year beef consumption is the lowest in the world among the countries studied. [46] Under India`s current trade laws, the export and import of beef (cow, steer and veal) is prohibited.
