Influence of BJP-Led West Bengal Government on Illegal Cattle Smuggling from Nepal

In Jhapa district, a program addressing contagious foot-and-mouth disease in livestock was held on Monday. The discussion focused on the illegal smuggling of cattle from Nepal to India. According to Sheetal Bhattarai, head of the Veterinary Hospital and Animal Health Expert Center in Bhadrapur, Jhapa, the issue of smuggling has resurfaced as a pressing topic following the formation of a new government in the neighboring Indian state of West Bengal. “During informal conversations, it was reported that farmers transport unsold animals illegally to India from Nepalese border markets, and the BJP has implemented stringent measures to curb this,” he informed.

The BJP-led West Bengal government has adopted a new policy emphasizing cow protection, impacting India’s animal markets, as shared in various reports. According to an Al Jazeera article published Monday, with the Muslim festival of Eid approaching, the Dhulagarh cattle market on the outskirts of West Bengal’s capital Kolkata remains deserted. The new BJP administration has introduced stringent enforcement of the 1950 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, which includes tough regulations such as banning public slaughter of animals.

Furthermore, the West Bengal government has decided to install barbed wire fencing along border areas to curb illegal trade with Bangladesh. Experts note that this illicit trade includes smuggling of cattle not only through Bihar and Jharkhand but also from Nepal via West Bengal into Bangladesh. “Since the installation of barbed wire fences, reports indicate a significant reduction in illegal animal export,” Bhattarai stated, “The Armed Police and heads of animal quarantine appear to possess more detailed information on this matter.”