Guwahati: Eidgah management committees in several Assam districts have announced there will be no cow sacrifice this Eid-ul-Zuha on May 28, a move CM Himanta Biswa Sarma praised as a “voluntary decision” respecting majority community sentiments.Sarma on Saturday posted on social media, “Eidgah and Kabristan management committees in places like Hojai, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Udharbond, and several other places in Assam have appealed against cow slaughter during Bakrid, while also explaining the legal and religious reasons behind this appeal. I welcome this effort to respect the sentiments of the majority Sanatan community of Assam.”He said such steps would strengthen peace and communal harmony, adding, “I hope other committees will also issue similar appeals,” while sharing news clippings from Dhubri and Udharbond in lower Assam and Barak Valley, regions with significant Muslim populations.In a later post, Sarma cited the Dhubri Town Eidgah Committee’s appeal and wrote: “Following the call by various committees, the Dhubri Town Eidgah Committee has also urged people to refrain from cow slaughter to honour the sentiments of Hindus and follow the law of the land. I call upon all Eid committees to come forward and make this Eid cow slaughter-free.”The appeals come amid restrictions under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, which does not impose a blanket ban on beef consumption but places limits on cattle slaughter and beef trade. The law bans selling or buying beef in areas with non-beef-eating populations and within 5 km of any temple or Vaishnavite monastery (satra) or other Hindu religious institutions, along with provisions related to permission for slaughter and illegal transport.In its appeal, the Dhubri Town Eidgah Committee cited the Act and said, “Generally, capable Muslim individuals in Assam usually opt for easily available cows for Qurbani. However, sacrificing only cows is not mandatory in Islam. In place of cows, there is a provision in Islam to sacrifice other permissible animals.”It added, “The country we live in, India, is a meeting ground of many castes and religions. Maintaining brotherhood, peace, and harmony among all religious communities and ethnic groups is an inseparable part of a Muslim’s faith (Iman).”The committee said it was saddened by incidents during last year’s Qurbani Eid in Dhubri. It stated that unknown miscreants carried out undesirable acts “with the intention of destroying peace, harmony, and brotherhood,” and urged people not to post photos or videos of sacrificial animals or meat on social media to avoid hurting sentiments.The Hojai Town Eidgah Kabarasthan Committee also appealed to abstain from cow slaughter in communally sensitive Hojai, where Hindus and Muslims live and practise their religions. Committee president Hussain Ahmed said Qurbani is a centuries-old tradition, but cow is only an alternative in some places. “So that people of other faith do not get hurt, we appealed to abstain from cow slaughter,” he said.Faizur Rahman, a Hojai resident, said, “In Hojai, mostly goats will be sacrificed this time since camel is not available here in this part of the state and the country. We want to avoid controversies.”
