The country’s Hindi heartland, Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the BJP government along with the problems of unemployment, poor health system and low education rate is now facing the challenge of stray cattle. The growing menace of stray cattle is becoming a new challenge for both the rural and urban population of the state. In the last two months, there have been several incidents in which the villagers have locked stray cattle in school buildings or in other government buildings to prevent cattle from destroying their crops. After receiving criticism over the stray cattle causing road accidents by loitering on the highways and destroying farmer’s field, the Yogi government had asked the Uttar Pradesh officials to keep the stray animals off the roads. The officials were given a deadline of January 10 to send the stray cattle to cow shelters.

As the officials have missed the deadline, the locals continue to face the problems related to cattle.

Schools instead of cows shelters

On January 13, farmers from Badalpur district locked up nearly 50 stray cows, inside a government primary school. The farmers alleged that the cows were damaging their crops. The incident happened after the villagers from Badalpur got inspired by farmers of another nearby village; Mahawad, where villagers had locked some 100 cattle in a government school after some stray cattle vandalised their fields.

In the month of December last year, Aligarh’s farmers locked up almost 800 cows in district schools to prevent them from loitering in the village. Just a few days after the incident, in Agra district, some farmers locked up herds of stray cattle, especially cows, in schools and other government buildings alleging that the animals are destroying their crops. Something similar happened in Shahjahanpur, reported The Scroll.

In many villages, the schools were being emptied in order to accommodate cows. In Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s district, Chandauli, angry farmers disrupted classes and locked up stray cattle into the classroom of a government primary school while the classes were still running. In Prayagraj district student were forced to sit outside in cold after farmers put the stray cattle in the school. This is the case in many other villages as well.

Banda: Students of Bisanda’s Singhpur Mafi middle school say studies affected as cows have been tied in campus. Villagers(pic 3)say cows are from adjacent villages&used to destroy crops. Police say, ‘Villagers have been asked to vacate campus. Cows shifted to cow shelter’ (12.01) pic.twitter.com/rGPTosrt7a

— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 13, 2019

Why are the farmers fed up of cows?

The problem of stray cattle has become rampant in the state. The farmers claim that these bovine animals destroy their crops which result into huge financial losses.

While speaking to The Times Of India, the village Pradhan of Badalpur district said, “We have to guard our fields 24X7. What to do? The cows are destroying the crops and seeds we are sowing. We are facing losses up to Rs 50,000 per acre.”

The villagers collectively decided to take the step to lock them up as the local administration did not pay any heed to their plea of taking the cows to the shelter homes. He claimed that the problem of stray cattle has become rampant for the past 3-4 years.

He added, “We waited long. Since the administration is disinterested, the farmers collectively decided to lock up the animals in the school. We need to sleep peacefully at night.”

While covering the Bulandshahr Violence, in which two people including a police officer and a youth were killed after clashes erupted in Shyana area, Uttar Pradesh over the alleged cow slaughter, The Logical Indian spoke to multiple people, who also claimed that the problem of stray cattle has become a major issue for the villagers in the rural parts of the state.

One of the villagers from Bulandshahr told us that the stray cows are the biggest issue in this area. To save crops from these stray cows, the farmers have to invest in the wire fencing.

“Even though Yogiji and Modiji have banned the abandoning and slaughter of cattle, but they should also make arrangements for their proper shelter and fodder. Cows are destroying our farms, but we don’t say anything. The government should make arrangements,” said another person from Bulandshahr.

Most of the farmers in the northern part of the country are getting their crops ready for harvest season. Many of them fear that the stray cattle would destroy their long-standing crops. In Faizabad district, many farmers were forced to sleep in the open fields in the chilly winter, only to save their crops from getting destroyed.

Yogi govt with stringent rules on cow protection Since the time the Yogi government has taken hold of the state, the state government has been very vocal about their stand on the cow protection. In the past, the government has also made several announcements in this regard. Adityanath time and…