In a recent accident on the Karnataka-Goa highway, five cattle were found dead in a pool of blood. With no conclusive investigation results about their deaths. The question here is; what were the cattle doing on the road?
Karnataka, Cattle, Death, And Money
The state government in 2012 introduced an insurance scheme where milch cows and buffaloes could be insured if they are purchased through a bank loan. The scheme was a relief to farmers and cow and buffalo owners who lost many of their livestock due to foot-and-mouth disease and road accidents in the state and were not able to fill the financial gap.
An upgrade in the scheme was implemented in 2015 where any cow and buffalo could be insured under the scheme.
A maximum insurance cover of Rs. 50,000 is guaranteed under the scheme and the paying of premium was divided in the following ways:
- 40% – State government
- 30% – Karnataka Milk Federation and other milk producer societies
- 30% – the owner of the cattle
Death Compensation
The state of Karnataka introduced a scheme (ex-gratia for the accidental death of Cattle & Buffaloes) in 2017 under which a compensation of Rs. 10,000 for the accidental death of non-insured cattle and buffaloes (above six months age) would be paid.
Karnataka has also been more stringent with establishing anti-slaughter laws as they pay a huge price as part of their insurance schemes which has an impact on their economy.
The Reality On The Ground
Nonetheless, with all the measures to compensate and cover cows and buffaloes under insurance, some farmers and cattle owners in the state are unhappy with the management, insurance structure and payment pipeline followed by the government and various departments.
Venkatesh R, a farmer and cattle owner in Nityanandnagar said that he does not know about any such insurance scheme.
“I have heard about some money thing about cows and buffaloes from many farmers but never heard about an insurance scheme.
I am old and sometimes it becomes difficult to manage your business and health. I hardly focus on the financing and insurance thing for my animals. I have five cows and four of them give milk. If I had known about this scheme, I would have applied for it,” he added.
When asked about the old insurance scheme which only comprised animals who were insured under the scheme, he was unaware of it. “I have no knowledge about any schemes about insurance or loans around cows,” he said.
A research report titled “Performance of Cattle Insurance in Select Districts of Karnataka” (PCISDK) by G.V. Rohith, P.K. Dixit, and S. Jeyakumar highlighted that in the initial years, there was a lack of awareness about the scheme among the farmers. The report, which had findings from eight districts of Karnataka stated that a similar trend was noticed in most of the other districts as well.
A report by The Wire signified the need for better infrastructure and idea planning and comparing with several crop insurance schemes in place, stated that:
For an insurance scheme to succeed, large numbers of buyers of insurance products are needed, who then support the few whose claims become payable. This keeps the premiums low for everyone. Unlike crop insurance, the individual assessment of loss is required in livestock insurance. Insurance companies must be finding it highly expensive to reach out to a large number of small and marginal farmers who rear a few animals.
The PCISDK reported in its findings the number of animals insured and claimed under the National Livestock Insurance Scheme in Karnataka. The tabulated findings are as follows.
An official from the Karnataka Milk Federation on anonymity said that many applicants who come to apply for such schemes do not know the process.
“They approach us for assistance for the schemes. We tell them about some basic things like how to fill the form and whom to contact. They themselves sometimes do not do anything for the scheme,” said the official.
India And Its Livestock
The Livestock census – 2018 (consisting of animal species like cattle, buffalo, mithun, yak, sheep, goat, pig, horse, pony, mule, donkey, camel, dog, rabbit, and elephant)/poultry birds (fowl, duck, and other poultry birds) conducted by the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying shows the various trends in the livestock population of the country.
According to the census, India has a total population of 535.8 million livestock animals. The number of livestock has increased by over 4.6 per cent from the last census (2012).
Uttar Pradesh has the highest livestock population (68 million) followed by Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh (57 and 41 million respectively). Karnataka ranks 9th in the list with 29 million livestock animals.
Not All Cows Are Insured
A farmer in Kengeri-Hobli, Bangalore said that once his cows do not give milk, he leaves them on the road. “It becomes difficult for me to bear the maintenance cost of a cow. To feed them, bathe them and keep up with their health costs thousands. I cannot afford that,” he added.
Many farmers before the Karnataka government implemented the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill (2020) (KPSPCB) in February 2021 used to sell their cattles to slaughter houses. The money they used to earn from this was then spent to buy a new cow.
“The new law has been a very tough one for farmers who have cows that are old and of no use. There is nothing we can do about them. We cannot sell them,” said the farmer.
The KPSPCB bans the slaughter of all the cattle, barring buffaloes aged over 13 in Karnataka but there are shops in the Shivajinagar beef market where one can buy and eat beef.
The cows which do not end up in slaughterhouses either stay on the streets throughout their lives or end up in Gaushalas.
Cows and Gaushalas
A report titled “The Sheltering of Unwanted Cattle, Experiences in India and Implications for Cattle Industries Elsewhere” by Uttara Kennedy, Arvind Sharma, and Clive J. C. Phillips entails details about the history of cows, its importance in Hinduism and other religions.
Talking about the importance of elderly cattles and gaushalas, the research report explained:
For the Hindu community, the gaushala is inextricably tied to religion: many are directly associated with temples or religious institutions. Even those that are not, actively encourage rites, rituals and celebration of cow-centric festivals. Either out of veneration or fear of a backlash from activists, rather than slaughter or sell cattle that are past their productive life or suffering from disease or debilitation, villagers often abandon these animals to the streets.
These cattle then remain as stray or get picked up by neighboring gaushalas rather than being slaughtered. Gaushalas also often see an increased influx of cattle and small ruminants rescued from ritual slaughter during Muslim festivals.”
Even after this, there are cows that do not live their twilight years in Gaushalas. Some die natural death, some are killed in accidents and animal-man conflicts, etc.
The end story of a cow remains clearly a political issue for some, a food item for some, a source of hope and worship for some, and an animal for others.