BJP member Subramanian Swamy today introduced in the Rajya Sabha a private member bill which seeks “deterrent punishment”, including the death penalty, for slaughter of cow and issues related to that.
The Cow Protection Bill, 2017, even invokes Mahatma Gandhi, while seeking a ban on cow slaughter, saying the Father of the Nation had “wished” so.
The bill seeks “to create an authority to ensure stabilisation of population of cows and to suggest such measures to comply with Article 37 and 48 of the Constitution, to ban the slaughter of cow and to provide deterrent punishment including death penalty for slaughter of cow and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”
What does the bill say?
- The bill provides that the authority should have Animal Husbandry Secretary and five eminent persons from fields like agricultural economics, animal welfare and and ancient Indian history or culture.
- The bill listed functions of the authority including undertaking a baseline study to collect data about cow population and to formulate a qualitative cow dignity index (CDI). The study should be completed within one year after setting up of the authority.
- It says that the body should formulate schemes to provide for health of cows and calves and provide funds to help incentivise adoption of cow and setting up ‘Gowshalas’.
- “The authority should also recommend to the central government, deterrent penalties including death penalty, to those who commit offences against cows,” the bill says. It also says that the Authority should frame syllabus for awareness about importance of cows protection and development all over the country.
- The bill also says that the Authority should prepare an annual report which should be tabled in the Parliament.
But, in the Parliamentary history of India, only one private member’s bill has so far become a law.
While scores of private members’ bills are introduced in Parliament each session, all of those are later withdrawn by the respective members after the government gives its views on those particular subjects.