Cows at Pushkar mela earlier this month. (Express Photo by: Mahim Pratap Singh) Cows at Pushkar mela earlier this month. (Express Photo by: Mahim Pratap Singh)

The famous cattle fair at Pushkar held earlier this month saw a drop in cow sales by 94 per cent over the past two years. The number of cows brought to the fair, an important event on the cattle trade calendar for its immense tourism value, saw a fall by 89 per cent during the same period, official data shows.

In 2012-13, 4,270 govansh (the official umbrella term for cows, bulls and calves) were brought to the fair, while 2,178 were sold. This year the numbers stood at 452 and 133 respectively, as per data compiled by the Rajasthan Animal Husbandry Department.

While the sales are always far lower than the arrivals, the figures have never been as dismal as in the last two years.

The cumulative earnings by cattle owners at the fair stood at Rs 9.4 crore last year, and fell to Rs 5.85 crore this time. This includes earnings from cows, buffaloes, horses, goats, camels, sheep etc.

One reason for the low sales is reduced agricultural incomes this season. However, most sellers, buyers, policemen and tourism officials say the bigger factor may be fear of attacks by right-wing activists over suspicions of cow trade.

“We come here to purchase bulls because they are of high pedigree. But of late it has become an unprofitable proposition,” Chand Bahadur, a farmer from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnaur district at the fair, said. “Agar koi tees hazaar ka bael khareede, aur highway pe jaate hi ye log use zabt kar lein, to kya faayda (If one buys a bull for Rs 30,000, and somene seizes it just when one hits the highway, what is the point)?”

Chand Bahadur, who nevertheless bought a bull for Rs 11,000 — same as friend Sukhram — was praying for a safe journey back to Bijnaur. “We have all the relevant papers and the bulls have yellow badges for identification. But who knows what will happen?” said Chand Bahadur.

With cattle going unsold, prices have crashed, rued Devkaran Gurjar, a local seller. His bull pegged at Rs 10,000 went for just Rs 4,000. “People don’t want to purchase bulls for a high price since there is always a chance they will be stopped and looted of their purchase,” he says.

The VHP admits keeping a “strict vigil” on the fair to check “govansh smuggling”. “Govansh has been smuggled out of Ajmer for several years during the fair. The smugglers come posing as buyers. But we have been keeping a watch over the last two-three years to put a stop to these activities,” said VHP prant prabhai for Chittor region, Suresh Goyal.

While refusing to talk about VHP activities, IG, Ajmer range, Malini Agarwal said, “There haven’t been any govansh smuggling cases registered with us.”

Nimbaram, who had come to the fair from Nagaur’s Parbatsar town, said the VHP’s claim of smugglers posing as buyers made no sense. Pointing out that cattle sold for anywhere between 10,000 and 50,000, he said, “You tell me, why would someone spend so much to buy a perfectly healthy cow or a bull? To use it and make money off it, or to give it away for slaughter?” says Nimbaram.

The Tourism Department is apprehensive of a fallout affecting the tourism business. Said an official, “Yes, there has been a rise in these incidents. Government authorities issue all relevant papers to the buyers and even have yellow badges fixed to the cows’ ears. But the trouble creaters don’t believe any proof, probably because they don’t want any.”

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