When Rakesh Tikait came to vote in the first phase, the reporters interviewed him after he had voted. Tikait had stated at the time that he had utilized his vote, but many BJP votes have been seen to be carried away by the “Coco”. People in the vicinity began to chuckle as a result of this. On social media, people began to inquire about the significance of Coco. At the same time, people who understood what it meant began to have fun. Jayant Chaudhary, the leader of the RLD, also tweeted about it. He stated that people are seeking the definition of “Coco” in dictionaries.
Coco is a type of tiny hawk bird. Actually, “Coco” is said in Western UP villages when anything taken by tiny children in stubbornness, is to be taken back. The child is then explained that the ‘Coco’ took it away, to which the child also agrees. Coco is shown as flying by pointing towards the sky.
Now, when we compare the stray bull and the “Coco”, it’s quite the same. The stray bull has been a major issue in the state, and this can definitely fly away with BJP’s votes.
In UP, farmers are crucial to every political party. The one issue that has been bothering the farmers in the state for a long time is the bulls. People in the state keep buffalo for milk, poultry goods, and farming, although the bulls were usually raised as livestock for meat. Since the government has prohibited slaughterhouses, stray bulls can be found in every part of the state. It is the bull that is costing the farmer so much trouble right now.
Stray cattle have caused so much damage to crops on farms around the state in the last five years that the cow inspires more fear than piety among farmers. The Yogi government chose to ignore the threat. Even while CM Yogi firmly treated the cow as sacred, the farmers’ collective sorrow simmered.
The problem of straying livestock in Uttar Pradesh became more severe five years ago. On May 23, 2017, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change issued the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh administration strictly enforced the UP Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act, 1955. These two restrictions resulted in the closure of all abattoirs in the state. They also had an impact on the livestock trade, particularly the cow trade, throughout the state. As a result, cattle owners were required to give up their animals, which had a severe impact on the rural economy.
The government has stopped all livestock trading, forcing owners to give up their inefficient animals. Cattle traders, many of whom are Muslims or Dalits, have been attacked and killed by vigilantes. Many have given up on the business because they are afraid of buying or transporting cattle.
The Yogi government’s response to the stray cattle problem has been to assist in the construction of more cow shelters. Farmers report that if they take their cattle to a cow shelter, the management demands Rs 2,000 right away. Cowsheds are also renowned for not feeding the animals adequately. Farmers argue that the Rs 30/day/animal amount does not even cover the cost of fodder for their animals.
The BJP constructed an election manifesto in 2017, in which the party promised to close all illegal slaughterhouses and impose restrictions on all butcheries in the state. The problem of wandering cattle is so severe that the Prime Minister had to mention it during a rally in Kanpur a few days ago. The PM responded to the issue and promised a long-term solution.
On Sunday, the third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh was held. In the fourth round of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, voting took place in 59 constituencies, including the state capital of Lucknow and Lakhimpur Kheri.
CM Yogi Adityanath reminded the public at the rally in Barabanki of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise last week to eliminate the problem of stray cattle in Uttar Pradesh. Meanwhile, the farmers in Barabanki, roughly 40 kilometres from Lucknow, reportedly released hundreds of cattle earlier that day into an open field near the site of a rally by CM to highlight the stray cattle issue in their area.
PM Modi promised voters in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday that a new policy to deal with stray cattle, which has become a significant electoral issue, would be implemented after the March 10 election result. Because of the collapse of local cattle markets, the threat has been exacerbated since the BJP administration took office in 2017. The Prime Minister told a crowd in Unnao that a new mechanism would be put in place to “get rid” of the problem. He promised that he would provide them with a way in which they could earn money even from the gobar (dung) of an animal that no longer gives milk.
Modi’s relatively hazy proposal may be too late and too little to persuade voters. The Samajwadi Party, the BJP’s primary rival, had already presented a more tangible and practical answer to the problem in its campaign.
The Samajwadi Party has previously declared that if elected, it will compensate the families of those who died because of being attacked by stray bulls with Rs 5 lakh each.
Whereas, the Congress party had previously pledged a solution based on the Chhattisgarh model. In its manifesto, Congress guaranteed Rs 3,000 for every acre of farmland destroyed by stray cattle or other animals. In addition, to encourage cattle breeding and combat the problem, it offered to buy cow manure from farmers for Rs 2 per kilo.
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