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.

Activist buys 32 bullocks, saves them from slaughter

The city’s out-of-work bullock population may not end up in the abattoir after all. The president of an animal rights organisation bought more than 30 animals that have been banned by the controller of rationing from transporting kerosene. Fizzah Shah, the head of In Defence of Animals, has also readied a public interest litigation (PIL) to challenge the ban.

Bullock carts have been used for transporting kerosene to dealers in Mumbai for decades. The controller issued an order prohibiting the practice on January 31 following a petition by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the Bombay High Court. The petition sought to only ease the workload of bullocks, but the controller imposed the blanket ban.

The diktat made the animals a liability for their owners, who then decided to sell them to slaughterhouses. Till Wednesday, Shah had saved 32 of these animals. “I have erected a proper shed for them at my farmhouse in Virar East. I have also hired people to take care of them,” she said. “The bullocks have been kept in a natural environment, and they appear to be happy.”

Shah said that she was horrified by the prospect of bullocks ending up in the abattoir after helping their owners earn a living for years. “I realised that the only way to save them was to purchase them from their owners,” she said.

Shah will file her PIL against the ban in the coming weeks. Animal lover Ajay Marathe will join her in the legal fight.

“My organisation will also intervene in the ongoing petition filed by PETA. The matter will come up for hearing on March 15,” she said. Animal rights activists say the State should issue directives for proper care of bullocks instead of banning their use for transporting kerosene and other goods.

“We have been campaigning for years. We now hope the High Court takes cognizance of the situation, and orders rehabilitation of the animals,” Dr Manilal Valliyate, the director of PETA India’s veterinary affairs, had told Mirror earlier.

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