The Indian Panorama

Tag: Cow / Beef

  • There is no holy cow in the Vedas

    There is no holy cow in the Vedas

    Hinduism considers the Vedas as its Supreme Court, whose word is final, and if any of the later Sanskrit or non-Sanskrit writing goes against what the Vedas have said, a Hindu has to follow the words of the Vedas.

    The Vedas consider bovines important  for milk, beef, agriculture, transport, but not as divine or holy. The word ‘Aghnyaa’ applies only to a milch cow because it is not economical to kill it. A Vaisha cow is meant for beef, and especially reserved to an extent for Brahmins only. Atharva 12.4(13) tells us that in case a Brahmin begs for a cow from a non-Brahmin, “even if that person has a beef-dinner at his house, he has to select another cow to slaughter for his own dinner than the one that is asked for”.

    The word ‘Aghnyaa’ (not to be killed) coined by Rigveda for young milch cows was the main cause of the Hindu misunderstanding that cows or bovines are not to be slaughtered. The importance of the cow entered the Hindu religion with full force possibly later, when Krishna began to be worshipped as Vishnu’s incarnation. The Rig Veda, like our Constitution, only recommends that young milch cows should be considered ‘Aghnyaa’ or ‘not to be slaughtered’, for economic reasons, and specifically states that those animals which are of no use have to be killed -Rigveda[10.95(6)]. The cattle-protection laws in most of the Indian states also rule the same way.

    The Rigveda has never used the word ‘mother’ for a cow. As in our Constitution, so in the Rig Veda, cow protection is not mandatory but only a directive principle. There is no punishment recommended for a cow slaughterer even if he kills a young milch cow. Beef-eating is also not taboo. Beef parties are not only allowed but highly appreciated, and a person who cooks beef for his guests is praised by the term ‘Atithi-gva’ ‘one who offers beef to guests’.

    Ritual sacrifice of a bull is a must in worship to God Indra. Beef parties also seem a regular affair in weddings (RV 10.85). Cows are not sacred and beef is not forbidden to Hindus. Here is a line from a verse ascribed to god Savita, the presiding deity of the Gayatri Mantra, describing a dinner party he is hosting: “At night we are going to kill cows” (RV.10.85(19). RV 10.89 (14) mentions “cows for food, laying scattered on the grounds of a slaughter house”. Mark that the author does not use the word ‘animals’ but ‘cows’, showing that beef was the most popular item, and the cow the most slaughtered animal. RV 10.95(6) says that “old cows which do not give milk” are “only fit to be cooked”. It further states that “useless cows are taken to be cooked, but never milch cows”. It is clear that slaughter houses are not banned, beef is allowed and useless bovines are allowed to be slaughtered in Hinduism.

    The cattle-protection laws in most of the Indian states also rule the same way. The Central government, in a letter dated 20th December 1950, directed the state governments not to introduce total prohibition on cow slaughter, stating economic reasons[i](DAHD, 2002, para. 64). Again, in 1995, the government of India stated before the Supreme Court that the central government was encouraging development of livestock resources and their efficient utilization which included production of quality meat for export as well as for the domestic market (DAHD, 2002, para. 65). In recent decades, the government also started giving grants and loans for setting up modern slaughter houses (Ministry of Food Processing Industries, ND.).

    In several cases, the Supreme Court has held that “a total ban (on cattle slaughter) was not permissible if, under economic conditions, keeping useless bull or bullock be a burden on the society and therefore not in the public interest” (DAHD, 2002, para. 124). So much for the legal standing on cow slaughter in the Constitution of India.

    (Summarized by Dave Makkar from the article Bovines, India And Hinduism by Rajani K. Dixit, retired Lecturer in Sanskrit.

    We look forward to your comments – Editor

  • Cow is an excuse – Rajasthan murder more than a vigilante action

    Cow is an excuse – Rajasthan murder more than a vigilante action

    Another vigilante action, another Muslim dead. This time in Rajasthan. But the beating of five persons transporting milch cows, leading to the death of a 55-year-old man, Pehlu Khan, was not surprising even if it was shocking. Circumstances of the case make it obvious that it was not part of any attempt to prevent smuggling of cows. It was an assault on a particular religious identity. For one, anyone familiar with cattle – especially those who claim to be passionately devoted to it – should be able to tell condemned cattle from a milch cow, as was the case here. Then, the man who died had documents to show he purchased the cows for milk as he ran a dairy. The more pertinent bit, however, is that one Hindu driver was let off by the gang, even though he was as much a part of the crew transporting the cattle.

    The disturbing aspect is that this is not an action of “fringe elements”, if there is still any distinction to be made within the communal monolith called the “Sangh”. The police were as quick as the “gau rakshaks” to accuse the cattle buyers of being smuggles, and booked them too without even preliminary inquiries. The Rajasthan Home Minister defended the police action, and even the need for “gau rakshaks” to prevent cattle smuggling. Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in the Rajya Sabha that the incident had been misreported. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the BJP to deny that it supports such vigilante action, given the systematic persecution of meat traders in certain states. UP has also seen “anti-Romeo squads” and instructions for teachers on how to dress “decently”.

    The fast evolving cultural tyranny needs to be recognised for what it is – a devious ploy at sustaining animosity on communal lines. The motives for this are as much political as a sincere faith in a medieval ideology, not very different from the extreme Islamic intrusion seen in all public institutions in Pakistan. Unless this is understood, and no less than the top leadership of the BJP moves to put a stop to the moral policing, the consequences also may be very similar to as in Pakistan.

     

     

  • BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly. The collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me confidence that such forces will remain marginalized, and India’s remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted,”so said honorable Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, addressing the nation on the eve of the 70th yearof Independencefrom British colonialism.

    It is indeed quite an emphatic and forceful statement coming from the bully pulpit of the highest office in the land. It also puts to shame those who refuse to acknowledge the growing intolerance and prejudice that is sweeping across India by the rightwing zealots who are emboldened by the election of Narendra Modi to power. The question to ponder is whether this is only an aberration or a growing trend that may have disastrous consequences to the way of life as we experience it today!

    Just as India was celebrating its Independence Day, word has come out from Bengaluru that SEDITION charges are being filed against Amnesty International of India, an organization that promotes human rights and creates awareness when it is violated in any part of the world. Once again, it appears that the law enforcement agencies are madepawns by ultra-nationalists bent upon imposing their version of cultural hegemony on the diverse people of India.

    Millions of Indians everywhere must be feeling the shame of India as the President has spoken out on the continuing assaults on Dalits. In a recent incident in Una, Gujarat, four Dalit youths were severely beaten up and dragged on the road for nearly a kilometer for allegedly possessing beef. It is widely known that the so-called upper castes will not touch the carcass and the Dalits are forced to clear or handle it and when they do, they are mercilessly beaten up in the name of self-appointed ‘Gau Rakshak Samiti.’

    Dalits who constitute one-sixth of India’s population, some 170 million people, live in precarious existence, shunned by much of Indian society because of their rank as “untouchables” or Dalits – meaning broken people – at the bottom of India’s caste system. Dalits are discriminated against, denied access to land and basic resources, forced to work in degrading conditions, and routinely abused at the hands of police and dominant caste groups that enjoy state’s protection.

    It appears that the Prime Minister had finally broken his silence when he made a statement in a town hall meeting saying that “I feel really angry that some people have opened shops in the name of cow protection. I have seen that some people commit anti-social activities through the night, but act as cow protectors by the day”. It is noteworthy that Modi did not call for the prosecution and punishment of these cow vigilantes but asked the authorities to prepare ‘dossiers’ on them and keep them under control!

    Almost a year ago, a mob lynched Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri U.P. on suspicion of possessing beef in his home refrigerator. Subsequently, the meat was sent for forensic examination. In June, Baliyan, who is a member of Modi’s Council of Ministers, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and BJP MLA Sangeet Som defended the killers and demanded action against the dead man’s family for the ‘crime of eating beef.’

    If there is growing intolerance on the dietary habits of Indians and rising violence by the emboldened vigilante groups who have taken up law unto their hands, many in the current leadership are in complicity, lending credence to their nefarious activities with their overt or covert support to this highly charged environment.

    Amit Shah, the President of BJP, boasted once that wherever there is a BJP government, there is a ban on beef. Raja Singh, a member of Parliament, went even further stating that he extends his full support to all those who take it upon themselves to teach those Dalits a valuable lesson!Mohinder Lal Khattar, the current Chief Minister of Haryana, is on the record saying that Muslims can live in the country only if they give up eating beef. Panchajanyam, an RSS newspaper has quoted Vedic scriptures that ordered the killing of sinners who slaughtered cows and the Union Minister of Agriculture Radhamohan Singh termed cow slaughter a ‘mortal sin.’

    There is no doubt that these vitriolic statements from higher ups have given fodder and cover to these cow vigilantes who roam the streets and become the judge, jury, and the executioners. Since BJP came to power, states like Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand have tightened laws against cow slaughter, but those in the leadership used the beef issue as an emotive political tool without any repercussions from the Prime Minister. In Maharashtra state, one may get five years incarceration for possession of beef as opposed to two years for sexual harassment of a woman!

    Prime Minister himself effectively conjured up the specter of a ‘pink revolution’ – cow killing on a mass scale – in the event of a BJP’s defeat in the 2014 election as part of a   strategy to motivate people and to vote for his party. Both in Western Uttar Pradesh and again in Bihar Modi spoke at length about the dangers of ‘pink revolution.’ “The agenda of the Congress is the pink revolution,” he said. “we have heard of the green revolution and white revolution but never pink, and this means the slaughter of animals (pashu). You see, the color of mutton is pink, and they are committing the sin of exporting it and bringing revolution…Because of this, our animal wealth is being slaughtered, our cows are being slaughtered, or sent abroad to be slaughtered….And now the Congress is saying, ‘if you vote for us, we will give you permission to kill cows’”

    It is quite apparent that if Modi has to call the heinous and brutal beating of the Dalit boys in Gujarat as criminal wrongdoing and ask that the perpetrators to be punished, he would have to cross that ideological line he and his party have helped to formulate in attaining the power. However, what he has done with his recent statement to the nation is an attempt to soothe the bruised feelings of Dalits who are critical to the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming elections in U.P. and Punjab. What else could explain his silence in all these months when Muslim youths were lynched or beaten up by cow vigilantes?

    The very idea of a consolidated vote bank based on the ideology of ‘Hindutva’ to include the Dalits and other backward castes may be fast unraveling as the video footage of the beating has gone viral and stoked Dalit anger. The nation also witnessed the de-recognition of the Ambedkar Students Association in Chennai, mistreatment and subsequent suicide of the Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad, torching of a Dalit home in Haryana and killing of two children. All these incidents may only reinforce the age-old Dalit thinking that BJP is essentially a party dominated by an upper caste ideology, and there may be very little room left in it for anyone else!

    (The author is a former Chief
    Technology Officer of the United
    Nations and Chairman of the Indian
    National Overseas Congress, USA)

  • President Mukherjee warns against rise of divisive forces

    President Mukherjee warns against rise of divisive forces

    NEW DELHI (TIP): On the eve of India’s 70th Independence Day, President Pranab Mukherjee warned against the rise of divisive and intolerant forces, in what can be seen as a message for the parties in power.

    Mukherjee also asked for firm measures to deal with attacks on weaker sections amid allegations of increasing victimisation of Dalits and minorities, often by fringe elements of the ruling establishment.

    Reminding about the duties defined in the Constitution, President Mukherjee in his pre-Independence Day speech asked the stakeholders to uphold the “spirit of the Constitution” and maintain the “maryada (sanctity)” of authorities and institutions of state power.

    “In these four years, I saw with disgust forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly,” Mukherjee said in what may be his last speech as President on August 14.

    A spate of incidents, including attacks on churches, the beef controversy, a Muslim’s lynching on the suspicion that he was storing beef, the suicide of Dalit student Rohith Vemulla and the recent beating of Dalit youth in Gujarat, has raised a number of political storms for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which has come under increased criticism from the opposition.

    “The Constitution has clearly defined the duties and responsibilities of every organ of the state. It has established the ancient Indian ethos of ‘maryada’ as far as authorities and institutions of state power are concerned,” Mukherjee said. “The spirit of the Constitution has to be upheld by adherence to this ‘maryada’ by the functionaries in the discharge of their duties.”

    The President hailed the passage of the 122nd Constitution Amendment Bill for the goods and services tax as
    “reason enough to celebrate India’s democratic maturity”. “The fact that despite two consecutive drought years, inflation has remained below 6% is a testimony to our nation’s resilience,” he said.

    But he also warned against
    “disruptions, obstructionism and unmindful pursuit of a divisive political agenda by groups and individuals” that might lead to “nothing but institutional travesty and Constitutional subversion”.

    “Polarising debates only deepen the fault lines in public discourse,” he said. “The collective wisdom of the society and India’s polity gives confidence that such forces will remain marginalised and India’s remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted.”

  • COW IS YAHOO’S ‘Personality of The Year for India’

    COW IS YAHOO’S
    ‘Personality of The Year for India’

    Yahoo recently said that ‘cow’ pipped all other contenders in 2015 to emerge as the personality of the year in India.

    “In an unexpected twist, the humble ‘cow’ emerged as ‘Personality of the Year’, trumping other high-profile contenders for the top spot,” Yahoo said in a statement on its “Year in Review” for India which captures the year’s top trends, happenings and events.

    “It started with the Maharashtra government announcing a ban on sale of beef in the state — a move which led to massive debates online and offline, spiraling into the ‘beef controversy’,” it said.

    The Dadri mob lynching, award wapsi –eminent writers returning national awards –and numerous discussions centered on ‘intolerance’ further propelled the bovine to claim the overall top spot, the statement said.

    When the idea of crowning the cow as the ‘Personality of the Year’ was first proposed, it met with equal parts scorn and mockery, condescension and astonishment, excitement and amusement.

    After all, traditional wisdom mandates that lofty-sounding appellations be the exclusive preserve of humankind and not be conferred upon bovine stock.

    Yet, prudence demands that the title belong to the one ‘being’ that had the most significant impact on a variety of matters, dominated national debate, pervaded general consciousness, evoked passion, initiated protests, stalled work, and set the social media afire, among other things.

    The list of the prime contenders for the title had political bigwigs, matinee idols, sports icons…

    Some of the distinguished names that were considered included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, actors Deepika Padukone, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, cricketers M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli, social workers, human-, women- and child-rights activists, litterateurs….

    But, finally pragmatism beat custom and the docile cow pipped big guns to the post.

    Had the dove not been recognized as the universal symbol of peace, the cow would most certainly have donned that mantle. Yet, this gentlest of creatures was at the center of a violent, political, social and legal firestorm throughout 2015.

    The humble herbivore was wrenched away from its pastoral idyll and then savagely flung it into a bloody battlefield. This brought legislation to a standstill, impeded the growth of pace of a nation desperately in need of sustained and uninterrupted development, polarized the society and the social media into two distinctly combative factions, dominated television debates and newspaper columns, sparked off violent acts of crime across the country, united a disruptive opposition, exposed an unyielding government, and disturbed the nation’s peace as the minority community expressed fear and concern over what was termed as rising intolerance.

    It all started with a ban on beef. The anti-cow slaughter movement had begun to intensify and spiral out of control. While cow-slaughter is banned in most parts of India, some states insisted on strict implementation of the ban and also imposed 10-year jail for those who are found guilty of slaughtering a cow, a bull or an ox, or caught eating or carrying beef.

    Many Hindus have considered the humble cow a sacred animal. The cow enjoys an exalted status in society: it is worshipped, is seen as a mother who provides for the family it resides with, is thought to be divine. All this, ostensibly, for economic and social reasons. Its protection thus is a matter of ‘honor’ for many Hindus.

    Beef ban gave rise to vigilantism and pro-beef protests that began to spread across the nation. Soon cow protection groups sprang up – many of them allegedly spreading rumors against those who partake of beef -to save ‘mother cow’. This met with an equally potent and, at times, violent response.

    There are doubts if the nation’s beef with beef is more an economic, cultural, legal and social argument or purely a religious dispute. Is it the way for the majority to assert itself over the beef-eating minorities? Or is it just a matter of respecting or insulting the sentiments of a large section of society?

    The cow can barely answer that. From a simple bovine it has been metamorphosed into a hardcore political symbol, a polarizing beast: a sort of a representation of the might of the majority leading to political slugfests, legal wrangles, social unrest, economic intimidation and ‘intolerance’ perceived by both sides of the divide.

    As was wont to happen, soon, in a horrific incident, a 50-year-old man in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh was lynched by a mob over rumors that he and his family were eating and storing beef at home. He was murdered and his son beaten to within an inch of his life over lies spread by goons.

    This sparked off national outrage, uniting the opposition parties against the ruling central government and igniting passionate debates, many of which were understandably political in nature.

    Close on the heels of Dadri, right wing activists roughed up an independent legislator in Kashmir for hosting a beef party. In Delhi, a posse of cops raided Kerala House over the allegation that beef was being served there. It later transpired that the canteen there only offered buffalo meat and not beef. In India, the buffalo does not enjoy the illustrious standing that the cow revels in.

    In Himachal Pradesh, a young many was killed under the suspicion of smuggling cows for slaughter. Yet another man was butchered in Karnataka for opposing illegal abattoirs.

    With political opponents baying for his blood, the prime minister decided to take the bull by the horns and broke his silence over the issue. But that did not yield desired results.

    By this time, the problem had snowballed into an unmanageable controversy. Dozens of literary figures jumped in to the fray and began to return their prestigious awards, protesting against intolerance. Scientists and other intellectuals followed suit.

    Film personalities too joined the bandwagon, creating an unprecedented schism in Bollywood and adding to the shrillness of the arguments.

    While decibel levels of television debates acquired unbearable proportions and political name-calling became de rigueur, social media platforms exploded into an all-out war with pro- and anti-beef groups trading nauseating invectives and shocking threats.

    Opinion was sharply divided: those against the protests asserted that the demonstrations were all related to the then impending Bihar elections; those protesting feared that the secular fabric of India was being ripped apart.

    A defensive government had offered opposition parties an issue to disrupt parliamentary proceedings with incessantly bringing all legislation, reform and progress to a halt. Not a single day’s of business was allowed inside Parliament as lawmakers continued to pillory a beleaguered government.

    Meanwhile, all through the raging storm the ruminating cow continued to stand by with the stoicism that is a bovine hallmark.

    Whether it is the last we have heard on this is moot and can be debated till the cows come home, but that the quadruped had a huge, perhaps the biggest, impact on India in 2015 cannot be denied.

     

  • Intolerance in India Echoes Home and Abroad

    Intolerance in India Echoes Home and Abroad

    As a young boy I attended Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Shakhas. I loved to go there to play and wield lathi. It provided me an opportunity to prove my strength and superiority. As part of our training, we were told to be patriotic, have respect and love for Bharat Mata. At times, we were told about the superiority of Hindu religion. But I don’t think it ever occurred to me to develop a staunch Hindu view of everything.

    As I grew, I distanced myself from RSS shakhas because I did not any more find an opportunity for the kind of sport I looked for. The primitive kabaddi and wielding lathi did not attract me any more.

    A few years later in my life I found the ideology of RSS not in consonance with the liberal values that my education had imbibed me with. I was drawn more to left than to the right where I saw RSS and the political party Jan Sangh.

    The right will always remain opposed to the left. It is like the East is East and the West is West and the twain can never meet. So, I  maintained distance from the right wing  Jan Sangh and the RSS which I considered to be a  religion-based group. I could never digest the aversion of the RSS for minority religious groups, though it pleased me as a Sikh to find some of the pracharaks of the RSS eulogizing  Guru Gobind Singh for the great sacrifice he and his father made to protect Hindus from the tyranny of the Muslim rulers.

    India has always been a country which absorbed all  who arrived on its soil, much as USA has. But, of late it appears India is being sought to be taken in a different direction. And the direction is certainly  not a welcome one; certainly not the one which would  strengthen the unity of the nation. The government of the day seems to be  bent upon creating divisions  in the name of religion. Surely, we have not forgotten the number of painful  incidents of communal clashes which, besides claiming life and property, have left deep scars on the psyche of the suffering people.

    People of India and Indians abroad will have to  find ways to oppose the Hindutva agenda of the RSS and the present government. It is either the people of India and India succeed or they succeed.

    Luckily, India has a number of intelligent people who could see through the game plans of the present government. They saw danger in rationalists being killed. They saw danger in the utterances of some representatives of the party in power. They saw danger in the studied silence of the Prime Minister on the issue of growing intolerance in India. So, they protested. Writers, artists, film makers returned their awards to register their protest. Instead of trying to allay their fears and  remedy the situation, the Modi government let the party workers organize counter protests. What a government we have?

    Every time somebody spoke of intolerance, the party in power made sure to come up with a condemnation of the protest. It happened in the case of Shahrukh Khan. It happened recently in the case of Aamir Khan.

    However, the number of protesters is growing and the protests are getting louder. These have not remained confined to India; Indians abroad have also protested.

    The Alliance for Justice & Accountability held  a Public Demonstration & Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, November 14th from 3-5 pm in Washington Square Park, New York to stand in solidarity with India’s disenfranchised communities to raise their  voices to dissent the recent acceleration of killings of Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis, Christians and Sikhs.

    In USA, Indian Americans have raised their voice of protest.

    George Abraham, a former UN officer and Chairperson of Indian National Overseas Congress USA sent in his comment, which is being reproduced ad verbatim.

    “The very fact that Aamir Khan’s statement evoked so many vitriolic reactions from the Sanghis is another evidence of growing intolerance towards freedom of expression in Modi’s India. If anyone thinks that there is no anxiety among the minorities about the prevalent situation is fooling himself.

    People are getting lynched for their dietary habits, Dalit families are set on fire, NGOs like Greenpeace and Caritas International are being banned or FCNR denied, sedition charges are  being filed against human rights activists like Teesta Setalvad, eminent secular voices are silenced through murder in cases of Kalburgi and Pansare, respected writer such as Kulkarni being assaulted, cultural police raiding Bars and beating up women, 90 year old Dalit set on fire for entering the temple, another Dalit man’s hand chopped off because he was seen dining with an upper caste individual, MLAgetting beaten up in J&K Assembly building for expressing his freedom of thought on the issue of slaughter of cows and the list goes on and on.

    According to an NGO report, there were 800 incidents arising out of growing intolerance in last year alone. This is in addition to the ongoing purges in academic institutions of people with a pluralistic view, such as Amartya Sen in NalandaUniversity, who are being replaced by RSS ideologues across the board in institutions such as National Book Trust, National Film Institute, Historical Society and so forth to impose a kind of cultural hegemony based on Vedic history.

    The very fact that the current administration downplays the role Nehru has played in creating the very idea of India as we know it, is very troublesome as they are increasingly inclined to create divisions pitting one freedom fighter against the other for political ends. Yes, they have truly learned something ‘valuable’ for themselves from the British: ‘Divide and Rule’.!”

    Is the  Modi government not bothered about  the fall out of these protests on the image of India abroad? Is the Modi government not bothered about  feelings of the  minorities ? Is the Modi government not bothered  for the unity of the nation? Is the Modi government not bothered for the people of India? It would be very sad if the answer was a  “NO”.

  • Delhi Police raids Kerala government canteen over #BEEF causes outrage

    Delhi Police raids Kerala government canteen over #BEEF causes outrage

    New Delhi Oct 27: The canteen of ‘Kerala House’ which is run by Kerala Government in New Delhi was raided yesterday by police after a rightwing Hindu group called ‘Hindu Sena’ complained it had beef on its menu.

    Police said they only went to Kerala House as a “preventive measure”, not to investigate the complaint or take meat samples.

    Kerala is one of the few Indian states in which cow slaughter is legal. But most states, including Delhi, ban the slaughter of cows, considered sacred by India’s majority Hindu community.

    Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday took strong exception to Delhi Police action at state-owned Kerala House in Delhi over beef served at its canteen. Chandy told the media in Kozhikode that the police should have shown restraint. “The state guest house is not a hotel. The police should have followed certain amount of guidelines while raiding a canteen at a government guest house. We would make our protest formal by writing to the Delhi government,” the Chief Minister said.

    “I would like to inform you that the Kerala House staff canteen serves authentic vegetarian and non-vegetarian Kerala cuisine and the items in the menu are entirely within law,” the letter is reported to have said.

    It is also reported that the kitchen will continue to serve the buffalo meat.

    Following Monday evening’s incident, the police picked up the caller from the Hindu Sena group for further questioning.

    “We dealt with the matter with necessary alertness and took our position. The objective was to ensure that law and order is not disrupted,” Jatin Narwal, a senior police officer, told the NDTV news site.

  • BJP MLAs IN J&K ASSEMBLY THRASH LEGISLATOR WHO HOSTED ‘BEEF PARTY’

    BJP MLAs IN J&K ASSEMBLY THRASH LEGISLATOR WHO HOSTED ‘BEEF PARTY’

    SRINAGAR (TIP): BJP legislators thrashed an independent MLA for hosting a beef party as the Jammu and Kashmir assembly grounded on October 8 opposition-backed bills aiming to overthrow a decades-old ban on cattle meat in the state.

    Lawmakers from the ruling party threw kicks and punches at Engineer Rashid a day after he reportedly served beef kebabs and patties on the lawns of the state legislators’ hostel in protest against the prohibition on cow slaughter that has triggered debates and communal concerns in parts of the country.

    Rashid said he didn’t wish to offend anyone and hadn’t broken any rules as the Supreme Court this week suspended the colonial-era beef ban under the state’s Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) for two months after separate wings of the J&K high court gave conflicting orders on the issue.

    “Nearly six to eight BJP members grabbed me and kicked and punched me,” the MLA told the media. “Is this democratic behaviour? And you expect separatists to join this assembly.”

    The Langate legislator has been in the news for leading protests against the ban and also courted controversy this month when he demanded that the remains of terrorist Afzal Guru, who was executed for his involvement in the 2001 Parliament attack, be returned to his family in the Valley.

    Amid the uproar, separate opposition bills seeking amendments to the RPC to decriminalise cattle slaughter were not taken up by the assembly on Thursday despite being listed for discussion, prompting criticism from the National Conference, Left and Congress leaders.

    Speaker Kavinder Gupta adjourned the House for the day at 1.30 pm, the schedule followed in the assembly during the current session, despite opposition leaders seeking more time to discuss the issue.

    “It seems that you have already decided to adjourn the house as the chief minister has left the House,” an angry Omar Abdullah, NC leader and former chief minister, told the Speaker. “This seems to be a way to save their chairs.

    This government is hiding behind you.”

    The beef ban controversy has emerged as a nettlesome test for the ideologically divergent PDP and BJP that tied up to form the J&K government this year after voters delivered a fractured mandate.

    “You cannot manhandle an MLA,” said chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed of the PDP as he condemned the attack on Rashid.

    The incident comes against the backdrop of a raging debate across the country over cow slaughter with hardline Hindu organisations pushing for a nationwide ban and minority groups resisting the move. Last week, a mob dragged a Muslim man out of his home in an Uttar Pradesh village and bludgeoned him to death with sticks and stones over suspicions that he butchered a calf.

    The beef row snowballed in Jammu and Kashmir after a division bench of the high court instructed authorities to strictly implement the ban, an order that drew sharp reactions from separatists and several minority groups who called it “interference in religious affairs” and sought revocation of the law.

    The laws governing slaughter of cows, bullocks and buffaloes vary from state to state. Jammu and Kashmir has a 10-year jail term for flouting the ban, while many northeastern states are allowing slaughter of all three.

  • THE POLITICS OF BEEF

    THE POLITICS OF BEEF

    On Sept. 28, in a village less than 60 miles from New Delhi, a Hindu priest announced in a local temple (under threat by some hot heads, he claims) that a Muslim family was consuming beef.

    Shortly afterward, a frenzied (Hindu) mob, wielding sticks, swords and cheap pistols barged into the family’s house and pulled out Akhlaq & his 22-year-old son, Danish, accusing the family of having slaughtered a cow and consuming it. They beat the men with such rapturous fury that within minutes the father was dead and his son in a coma.

    Times cannot be treated as normal if the President of India feels the need to issue a public advisory. What can explain the inexplicable silence of the otherwise hyper-expressive Narendra Modi.

    While, leaders of the political parties have left no stone unturned in trivializing the issue. PM Modi did not issue a single tweet, nor posted a Facebook statement expressing regret or offering condolence for this dead citizen.

    The Prime Minister finds himself unable to condemn utterances of his own party leaders & ministers. Isn’t this what happened in Godhra, when Modi was the Chief Minister.

    PM Speaks – Only too little too late 

    Less than 24 hours after the President’s subtle reprimand, India’s Prime Minister did speak – Not against the murderers of Akhlaq. Not even on the provocative comments by his party men/women in Dadri. No, not even on the urgent need to put an end to beef politics. All this can wait. After all, elections in Bihar happen just once in five years.

    Its all Politics for Narendra Modi – Why else would he choose an election rally to indirectly mention the incident. What are the compulsions of Narendra Modi who has brought to his party 284 seats in the Lok Sabha?

    Why Laloo alone comes to his mind; and people like Mahesh Sharma, Sanjeev Balyan, Sakshi Maharaj, Yogi Adityanath, Sangeet Som, Azam Khan and AIMIM leader Assaduddin Owaisi are allowed to get away with their shameless statements?

    Akhlaq’s family members can wait. And the President of India should learn to wait. Prime Minister of India is busy consolidating his position. And for this he must win Bihar. India’s core civilizational values can wait too

    While only hinting on the raging row over the Dadri lynching incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Hindus and Muslims should decide whether to fight each other or together overcome poverty while asking the people to ignore “irresponsible” statements of politicians.

    Its to be noted that the above statement comes at his 4th Bihar election rally this week and that too after blowing all the jibes on the beef row towards BJP opponents like Laloo.

    “The country has to stay united,” Modi asserted. “I have said it earlier also. We have to decide whether Hindus should fight Muslims or poverty. Muslims should decide whether to fight Hindus or poverty,” he added.

    The silence does not douse flames, it fans conspiracy theories

    Adding Fuel to the Fire – Our Politicians whom ‘WE’ elected

    Why are these shallow leaders not expelled? Every time a party has been questioned, their answer has been simple -point fingers at the other parties.

    Outrageous Things Leaders Have Said – For the record, BJP leads here. 

    Mahesh Sharma 

    Modi’s Culture Minister & BJP Leader Mahesh Sharma, a moral idiot recently opined that India’s late President Abdul Kalam was patriotic “despite being a Muslim,” and dubbed the vicious beating an “accident.” He consoled the family by noting that at least the 17-year-old daughter of the slain man was untouched!

    Azam Khan
    Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan took one step further and wrote to United Nations on the condition of Muslims in India.

    He goes on further to hint on a new partition of India, “There should be a round table conference on what will be the new map of India and how people will live in the country” and “Aaj poori duniya dekh rahi hai ki Babri se le ke Dadri tak ka mansooba kya tha”.

    He clubs the incident with the demolition of Babri Masjid to harness the power of hatred.

    Sangeet Som 

    BJP MLA Sangeet Som, infamous for making controversial speeches during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots & one of the accused, declared, “Agar nirdoshon ke khilaf karyawahi ki gayi, to munh-tod jawab hamne pehle bhi diya hai aur abh bhi dena jante hain (If action is taken against innocent, we have given a befitting reply earlier and can do so again). We can give a reply whenever we want.” He made this statement at a temple on the outskirts of Bisara, near where the incident occurred.

    Asaduddin Owaisi

    “This murder was premeditated. He has been killed in the name of religion. It is an attack on our community. It cannot be an accident. All of this is being propagated by the state and central governments,” Owaisi says. The Hyderabad MP also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the killing. “This mother has seen her son getting beaten to death in front of her. Where are his condolences?”

    Owaisi also slammed Union Minister Mahesh Sharma for describing the killing in the Dadri village as “an accident”. “He is the country’s Culture Minister. It is unfortunate that a minister who has taken an oath on the Constitution does not have the courage and intellectual honesty to condemn the incident unconditionally.”

    Tarun Vijay 

    BJP MP Tarun Vijay said, it wasn’t the Hindu community’s responsibility to maintain peace and the Muslim community should remain mute.

    “Why responsibility to keep peace and maintain calm is always put on the Hindus alone? Be a victim and maintain silence in face of assaults!!” tweeted the former editor the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) weekly in Hindi, Panchajanya.

    Muslims & Minorities in India – whatever the politicians may think – have a right to live with their heads held high as anyone else. They cannot & must not be ‘dumped’ or ‘subdued’.

    As Indians we need to fix our dysfunctional democracy. The idea of democracy cannot begin and end with elections alone. Until then we will continue to lose lives like Mohammad Akhlaq’s because of let’s call it “the politics of food “.

    Is anyone there listening???

  • Ban this, ban that – Intolerance growing in BJP-RSS regime

    Ban this, ban that – Intolerance growing in BJP-RSS regime

    Days after Prime Minister Modi warned the judiciary of dangers posed by five-star activists, the Union Home Ministry cut off foreign funding to Greenpeace for “campaigning against government policies” and “obstructing India’s energy plans”. Among the reasons cited for the ban is Greenpeace activists “holding talks” with the Aam Aadmi Party. Foreign money is welcome for pollution-causing industries but not for raising a voice to protect the forests, the environment or human rights. Swift green clearances for projects are seen as an achievement by the minister who is tasked with safeguarding the country’s environment and natural resources.

    Take Maharashtra. Union Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria told the Rajya Sabha recently that 135 farmers killed themselves in the first 58 days of this year in the state’s Aurangabad division.  That is not what worries the BJP government. It is devoting its time and resources to enforcing a ban on beef and promoting Marathi films. Most Indians do not approve of cow slaughter and will like the government to provide for adequate cow sheds. Cows become a financial liability once they stop yielding milk. What should farmers, barely making two ends meet, do? And those who survive on beef business? The state high court rightly asked the government how it could extend the ban to other states by stopping people from eating beef produced there. The Devendra Fadnavis government not only wants to decide what people should eat but also what films they should watch. Multiplexes have been forced to show Marathi films at prime time. When writer Shobhaa De protested against such “dadagiri”, cultural extremists ganged up to gag her.

    As if the censor board was not giving enough trouble to filmmakers, the SGPC has started demanding bans on films it disapproves of. Fanatics want to decide what people should wear, watch, read and even which religion they should follow, threatening in the process the very foundations of a secular, liberal India. Intolerance is growing in Modi raj and targets are clear. Anyone who opposes what the government is doing or the religious/cultural agenda it is patronising puts himself at risk.

  • BJP’s Goa CM opposes beef ban

    NEW DELHI (TIP): BJP-ruled Goa would not ban beef as it is an essential part of the cuisine of minority communities in the state, chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar told ET, adding that it had taken several years for his party to earn the trust of the state’s Christians and Muslims.

    “Regardless of what the Centre does -in Goa minorities are 3940% -if it is part of their food habits, why and how can we ban it? For people -especially minorities -eating beef is part of their food,” said Parsekar. The Goan CM’s comments assume significance as it comes days after Maharashtra and Haryana imposed blanket bans on beef. The move had also triggered speculation that the BJP-led Central government could be considering a nation-wide plan to ban beef distribution and consumption.

    Parsekar, a former state-level functionary of RSS, said that he is also conscious about the sentiments of a section of Hindus concerning slaughter of cows.

    “Sentiments are hurt with regards to killing cows, not in the case of oxen or bulls. We don’t permit killing of cows, and even oxen are not killed there (in Goa) now. It (beef) is brought from Karnataka and sold here, which we allow since it is a part of cuisine of Catholics and Muslims, and I feel it should not be banned,” he said.

    The Goa CM also felt that there was a concerted effort from some quarters, including media, to paint BJP as antiminority by blaming the recent attacks on churches on the party. Such incidents are happening even in states where BJP is not in power, but the party is being blamed, he said.

    Parsekar said the BJP managed to grow “gradually” and achieve a full majority government for the first time in the state because of it having “build confidence” among the minority community.

    “In fact, we favour the minorities,” he said, adding, “In Goa, we are always one step ahead (in reassuring the minority community). We favour the minorities -whether it is for (setting up their) institutions or any other help. For your information, exposition of the holy relics of Saint Xavier’s was organised this year. We spent a lot of money for raising infrastructure for that event. It went on for 45 days and 46 lakh people arrived from the world over. We had put up a secretariat comprising top officers for monitoring the event and spent more than Rs 50 crore at the campus.”