To,

 

Hon Chief Justice of India,

Hon Chief Justice of Madras High Court,

Hon Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu,

 

Greetings !!!

 

Subject: In the interest of general public on Environmental & Compassionate grounds Appeal to Ban Camel Slaughter in Tamil Nadu

 

We, People for Cattle In India (PFCI) a Non –Government Organization formed to prevent & eradicate cruelty posed to Cattle & other Animals in India would  like to draw your kind attention to the ‘Camel  Slaughter’ which occurs every year mainly during religious festivals. We hereby seek this appeal as a result of few of our failed attempts in an effort to rescue the Camels which were brought for the slaughter in the past. Our labors in this regards were primarily unsuccessful in the first place because there is no proper law, regulations or guidelines pertaining to the ‘Camel Slaughter’ in Tamil Nadu. Secondly, Due to the lack of knowledge on Animal Laws by the Govt officials we came across in this issue.

On one hand we need to consider the plight of the Animal on humane grounds.  Since Camels are not a Natural Habitat of our State, few of them are made to walk all the way from desert regions of Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu; Due to the fact that the Camel feet are habituated only to walk on sand dunes & not rough roads they suffer immensely in such a long journey for months together. Also, they are agonized further by tying the Camel tightly to a rope and pulling it all the way mercilessly, in addition to not providing enough water & food (Given that the Camel is known for their survival without the same). Whereas, On the other hand ‘Slaughter’ & ‘Consumption’ of the Camel meat may not be doing much good for the Humans as well.

The following are points of consideration which enables us to conclude that ‘Camel Slaughter’ is Hazardous and Clearly Impacts the society harmfully. 

Ø  Illegal trafficking of Camels violating Transportation Rule& PCA act:

RTI reply from Transport department suggests that no Camels were brought into the state officially. This suggests that the Camels which were used for the purpose of slaughter are ‘Illegally Trafficked’ violating various Transportation laws. To avoid attracting the attention of the officials they generally make the Camel walk all the way from Rajasthan to Tamil Nadu for months together which seriously violates Prevention of Cruelty Towards Animals Act 1960 & Transport of Animals Rules.

Ø  Public Slaughter which poses Environmental Threats & Epidemic Threat:

The RTI reply from the Chennai Corporation suggests that the culling of Camels does not happen in Slaughterhouses this implies that the Camels are Slaughtered in Public. This is a serious violation of the Environmental law and this could harm the society by way of polluting Air, Water & Land.  Since the slaughter is illegal it will not comply with the usual ‘Slaughter House Rules’ especially one of them which requires careful examination of the Animals to be slaughtered by a qualified Veterinarian. In absence of this procedure it can lead to epidemic diseases outbreak since the Animals crosses various cities, towns, hamlets to reach their destination. Such a disease may not just affect the person who consumes the meat but also the person who lives in & around the area of slaughter.

Ø  Food Safety Standards & Hygiene Issues:

Food Safety & Standards Authority of India suggests that ‘Camel Meat’ in India cannot be consumed. The public slaughter of the Camel makes it all the more unsafe for the Meat Eaters which poses severe threats to the hygiene standards of the meat. Consumption of unsafe meat leads to various diseases that could also be life threatening to the meat-consumers. The public slaughter also impacts the Hygiene standards of the Food & Environment to a large extent.

Ø  Lack of Uniformity in Information among regulatory bodies & enforcing authorities:

The Chennai Corporation in its RTI reply confirms that there was no Camel Brought to Chennai during 2014. Whereas the Washermanpet Police Station confirms that 9 camels were brought & Killed in 2014.This clearly states that there is a huge gap between the regulating bodies & enforcing authorities.

One of the fastest depleting Animals in the country today is Camel & Slaughtering of them will make them an endangered species. Hence to protect such depletion we should stop the slaughter of Camels with Immediate effect. One of the most disturbing facts that we heard during our interrogation with the public around the place of the Camel slaughter is that the slaughter happens in the open, In front of common public which also includes children. This can have psychological effects on them at such a tender age and also in contrary can also sow in seeds of violence in their minds.

We humbly request the concerned authorities to consider our plea and Ban the Slaughter of Camels in Tamil Nadu with Immediate effect. We would assist you with any further details or clarifications required in this regard. Please help us to save the animals & also protect our society from the harmful effects of ‘illegal Slaughter’

 

Yours Sincerely,

 People For Cattle in India (PFCI)