Muslim clerics in West Bengal have urged the community to avoid buying cows for Qurbani as the state tightens enforcement of cattle slaughter and sale rules ahead of Eid al-Adha, expected to be observed on May 27-28.
The appeal has come amid unease in livestock markets, legal challenges before the Calcutta High Court, and political exchanges over whether the government’s May 13 notification is a neutral enforcement measure or a curb that will affect religious observance and festival-linked trade.
Maulana Shafique Qasmi, imam of Kolkata’s Nakhoda Masjid, has advised Muslims not to offer cows for Qurbani and to choose goats instead, saying religious practice in a diverse society should not become a cause of tension. His intervention is significant because Nakhoda Masjid is one of the most influential mosques in eastern India, and its position often shapes community guidance in Kolkata and surrounding districts.
Qurbani, the ritual sacrifice performed during Eid al-Adha, commemorates Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. Islamic practice permits sacrifice of livestock such as goats, sheep, cattle or camels, subject to local law and religious conditions. Clerics in Bengal have stressed that the act of sacrifice remains important, but the choice of animal should take account of public order, legality and inter-community sensitivities.
The state notification cites the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950, and a 2018 Calcutta High Court order dealing with slaughter in public places. It does not impose a blanket ban on cow slaughter, but it requires written certification before slaughter of bulls, bullocks, cows, calves, male and female buffaloes, buffalo calves and castrated buffaloes. The certificate must be issued by authorised civic or panchayat officials along with government veterinary surgeons, confirming that the animal is legally fit for slaughter.
The rules also require slaughter to take place only in municipal slaughterhouses or facilities identified by the local administration. Public slaughter has been barred, and violations can attract prosecution, including imprisonment and fines. Officials have argued that the order is aimed at preventing illegal slaughter and cattle smuggling, not at targeting any community or festival.
The Calcutta High Court on May 22 refused to stay the government’s notification while hearing petitions challenging the restrictions. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul observed that cow sacrifice was not an essential religious requirement of Eid al-Adha. The court, however, asked the state to examine whether an exemption under Section 12 of the 1950 Act could be considered and whether adequate infrastructure exists for issuing fit-for-slaughter certificates.
The legal position has complicated preparations for Eid because the festival typically generates a sharp increase in livestock movement, sales and slaughter-related services. Traders in cattle markets have reported a fall in purchases as buyers fear legal difficulty or police action. The impact is being felt not only by Muslim buyers but also by Hindu traders, dairy-linked households, transporters, butchers, leather workers and seasonal labourers who depend on festival demand.
Nawsad Siddiqui, the Bhangar MLA and leader associated with Furfura Sharif, has sought a festival exemption, arguing that the livestock and leather economy involves large numbers of non-Muslim traders as well. He has pointed to Section 12 of the 1950 law, which allows the government to grant exemptions for religious, medicinal or research purposes. His demand has added a political dimension to a dispute already shaped by law, faith and market anxiety.
The government has defended its position by saying the rules are old and are only being enforced more strictly. Animal resources development minister Dilip Ghosh has said there is no basis for linking the enforcement drive to Eid or Qurbani, and that any religious custom must operate within the law. He has also warned people not to take the law into their own hands and said police vigilance would continue.
