hrishikabra

On the 26th of May 2017, the state of Maharashtra banned the consumption, sale and purchase of beef. This was a day was misery for beef lovers as the Ministry of Environment (Led by the Bharatiya Janata Party) of India and the Bombay High Court had taken away the one food they love. Any person found in possession is heavily fined or has to serve a jail sentence to up to 5 years.

India is a secular but Hindu dominated country. According to Hindus, cattle are living incarnations of god and hence sacred. The government of India, with the help of large Hindu dominated political parties passed the law which imposed the ban of slaughter of cattle. Soon, the Maharashtra government adopted this law and banned beef in the state.

This ban had a ripple effect amongst many communities: businesses, farmers and also on our economy. In an effort to enforce this law, violence between communities increased across Maharashtra. Small butchers lost their jobs.. The export industry suffered major losses, causing a drop in the economy. Hindu fanatics and extremists took violence to a whole new level by torturing and killing anyone who was seen carrying, purchasing, or consuming beef.

Despite the ban’s negative impacts, many Animal Activists saw this as a victory. The number of young cattle who were slaughtered and tortured reduced drastically due to this law. This meant the cattle were used productively in other ways like farming in agriculture, for milk, etc.

I feel that this law caters to a specific religion, and if more laws like these come up it would be difficult to call ourselves a secular country. It also shows that the views of other religions are being shunted and only one is being respected. True diversity cannot be promised in a country where the government claims secularity but the laws tell another story. If the laws continues to cater to one social group, then any hope for equality and secularity in the country will be gone.

I believe it is not okay to slaughter and torture any living being, but you cannot put a ban on what one chooses to eat. The BJP have taken away that fundamental right which every Indian should have: the right to choose how to live, what to eat and what to believe in.

Sources referenced

https://www.forbes.com/sites/leezamangaldas/2017/06/05/indias-got-beef-with-beef-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-countrys-controversial-beef-ban/#640f37c053c2

https://www.news18.com/news/india/states-where-cow-slaughter-is-banned-so-far-and-states-where-it-isnt-1413425.html

https://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/whats-at-steak-millions-are-rising-up-against-modis-beef-ban/92870

https://www.ozy.com/acumen/a-new-ban-on-beef-where-youd-never-expect-it/60914