Boycott of cattle market in Hassan will spread to other parts of Karnataka, pressure on Govt needs to be maintained. repeal the law

Muslim buyers stayed away from the market in protest against the strict cattle slaughter law. | Photo credit: File photo

The buyers’ boycott that left hundreds of farmers stranded at Hassan’s weekly cattle market on Tuesday (May 26) will continue for several more weeks – and may soon spread across Karnataka.

Muslim organizations behind the boycott said they were determined to put pressure on the state government until it repealed the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Livestock Act, 2020, which they claimed had been used as a weapon against their community.

Muslim buyers stayed away from the market in protest against the strict cattle slaughter law, which they say makes trade not only difficult but dangerous for them. Traders transporting cattle face harassment and police crackdowns and getting a license to run slaughterhouses has become an ordeal, they added. Rather than risk legal trouble, the community decided to stop buying cattle altogether and observe Bakrid by sacrificing sheep and goats.

Risky business

Mohammed Zafar, a cattle trader from Alur, whose family has been in the trade for decades, explained the ground reality. “We are conducting our business under the law that allows only buffalo slaughter. Even then we face problems from the police. We are struggling to get licenses for slaughterhouses. We have decided to boycott the market for some time to avoid such risks,” he said.

As a result, hundreds of farmers who arrived at the Hassan market hoping to sell old and unproductive cattle and use the money for cultivation, school fees or medical expenses were left with no buyers and the added burden of paying to transport the unsold animals back home.

Unproductive cattle

“We cannot afford to keep unproductive cattle. We farmers are already burdened with so many problems. Selling the cattle in the market fetched us a few thousand rupees,” said one farmer in a video clip from the market that went viral on Tuesday.

The boycott has the support of the Federation of Muslim Organisations, which has also appealed to community members not to buy cattle for the festival, advising them to avoid the legal complications such purchases now bring.

State convener Anshad Palya, a lawyer, told The Hindu that the federation met cattle traders and slaughterhouse workers and convinced them to extend the boycott. “We will continue until the state government withdraws this controversial law that imposes restrictions on the transport and slaughter of cattle,” he said.

Many reserved

Mr. Palya pointed out that since the law was passed by the BJP government in 2020, a large number of people — mostly from the Muslim community — have been enrolled under its provisions, even for legitimate business. “Our community has decided to stop buying cattle to avoid calling the police. If there are no buyers, there will be no business – and that is the message we want the government to hear,” he said.

The federation is now in touch with community leaders in other districts to expand the campaign across the state. A roundtable is planned in Hassan involving dairy farmers, traders and activists from progressive organizations to build a broader coalition around the demand.

Mr. Palya also took aim at what he called the BJP’s double standard on the issue. “BJP supports cattle trade and slaughter in several states where it is in power, including neighboring Goa. But in Karnataka it is against it. And fringe groups supported by the party are taking the law into their own hands and harassing people in the trade,” he said.

The federation demanded the repeal of the law and a licensed abattoir to be run by the government so that those who depend on the trade can continue peacefully and legally, he said.

Published – 27 May 2026 20:38 IST