Food for thought to prevent bullocks from dying

Group of youngsters collect Rs 30,000, buy 12 tonnes of fresh grass from Aarey Colony and feed 500 bullocks across the city

With several bullocks finding their way to abattoirs or dying due to starvation, after the recent bullock cart ban imposed by the Controller of Rationing, a group of animal lovers have joined hands to feed these distressed animals.

On Sunday, a group of youngsters from the city pooled in resources and got a truckload of fodder for 500 bullocks in the city. “When we heard that bullocks were being taken to slaughter houses since their owners could no longer afford to feed them, we decided to do something,” said Rakesh Jain, who heads Ahimsa Sangh, a group of animal lovers.

The group collected Rs 30,000 and bought 12 tonne of fresh grass from Aarey Colony. They rushed to various places in the city where bullocks are kept. Their first stop was the Gadi Adda at Sewri where around 200 bullocks and their owners live.

The youngsters ensured that all the bullocks were fed and enough fodder was left for the next day. They also went to Dharavi, Santacruz and the western suburbs to feed smaller herds there.

On February 22 and March 9, Mumbai Mirror had reported on the sorry state of bullocks and their owners after the ban.

On January 31, the Controller of Rationing had issued a circular banning the use of bullock carts for transporting kerosene. The ban was imposed after People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking a ban on the exploitation of bullocks. “Every day, we spend Rs 150 to feed a bullock. With no source of income what are we supposed to do?” asked Yusuf Khan, a bullock cart owner.

While PETA maintains that the ban will protect the future generation of bullocks, some activists feel the ban is illogical. “The government should have worked out on a rehabilitation policy so that the animals are not sold to slaughter houses,” said Fizzah Shah, head of In Defence of Animals.

Shah and other animal lovers have joined hands and launched the ‘feed the bullocks’ programme. They have also intervened in PETA’s petition, saying that that the ban should be lifted till a rehabilitation programme is chalked out for the animals.

“Till the time we get relief from the HC, feeding the bulls is the only way to keep them alive,” said Ajay Marathe, another animal lover, who has been treating injured bulls for the past few years.