Articles

The Cow Politics

Last night one of my post against cow slaughter had bought quite a rift . Strange enough people who protested were from Hindu backgrounds and most of them are financially self sufficient and could not understand their love for cheap flesh.

Cow had always been a source of cheap flesh and had been loved by mostly non-Hindus who are financially weak.

Though red meat is not generally preferred in hot south-east Asian conditions so such people enjoying beef
inevitably suffers from awkward skin diseases and other organ problems.

But incidentally beef had never been a loved food for socially organized Muslim families.

Beef was infact encouraged during the reign of Aurangzeeb who among other ways found it to be another way to assert his supremacy and complete command over his Hindu subjects. Jizya Tax was certainly his another formula.

This essentially gave rise to the hartred among the Shiks Marathas and other communities and thus Hindus who were once
friends with Mughal empires like Akbar turned against Aurangzeb.

After Aurangzeb’s reign was over there was no such major communal tensions until when Arya Swamaj lead by
Swami Dayananda Saraswati demanded to end of cow slaughter in British India.
This movement was also another mark in freedom strugle of India where Hindus demanding their religious rights. This moment was in its peak during 1870’s. But this demand agitated the Muslims, who saw this movement as Hindus aserting their rights after about 1000 years of slavery and this eventually lead to a riot in 1893.

Anti cow slaughter agitation was also evident in 1966 when about 10,000 Hindus demanded a bill only to be rejected by Smt Indhira Gandhi, the then PM. But there was a huge uproar associated with it.

It was then On October 26, 2005, the Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgement upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted by different state governments in India.
And it may be well stated that only few states, ie Kerala, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim are the states where there is no restrictions on cow slaughter.
All the other states have certain rules for cattle prevention.

The “Preservation, protection and improvement of stock and prevention of animal diseases, veterinary training and practice”
is Entry 15 of the State List of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, meaning that State legislatures have exclusive powers to legislate the prevention of slaughter and preservation of cattle. Some States allow the slaughter of cattle with restrictions
like a “fit-for-slaughter” certificate which may be issued depending on factors like age and gender of cattle, continued economic viability etc.
Others completely ban cattle slaughter, while there is no restriction in a few states.

Prohibition of cow slaughter is a Directive Principles of State Policy contained in Article 48 of the Constitution

The problem is about 70% people in India don’t consume beef the 30% still makes India as 7th largest consumer of beef.
But India ranks first in exporting of beef either through legal way or by smuggling in the neighboring countries.
So In fact by allowing beef we are helping Pakistan and Bangladesh to grow stronger and bite on us.
The major export is water buffalo though which is not considered sacred among Hindus but neighboring countries depend on it for
superior taste. After Modi Government came to power Bangladesh had suffered due to lack of beef export from India
which eventually lead them to financial crisis.

So much for the economic and social reasons. Now religious reasons. Early Aryans were consumers of beef yes there are many references.But if you had read or heard the stories of Mahabharata there was a lack of cattle during some later vedic period . This eventually lead to a rivalry between Dronacharrya and Panchal king Drupad. So like many others rules Cows may have been given a sacred status so as to protect them
since they are rich source of dairy products and are useful for farming purposes.

Now leave everything apart. Think about the way large animals are slaughtered, any human in their rightful mind would love that ? May be yes then they cannot be considered as human. They are more brutal than a fierce animal.

Many non-Hindus or less aware Hindus also preach that if Cows are holy than pigs and fishes and rats are also sacred.
Absolutely no doubt about it. Hinduism has preched that God exists in everywhere and in everything. Prallad’s story may hold good for this.

But to live you have to survive on other lives may it be other animals or plants or bacteria fungus or viruses. According to Christianity we are all seiners even according to Hinduism our sins leads us to rebirth in different forms. Now its up to us how much less sin we can commit.

It is understandable that a huge population survives on poultry business. I might not be the greatest lover of chickens but even then I cant protest about stooping chicken since it will increase the unemployment problem even more.

But the concept China had that Tigers would be made to breed rapidly and would be used as a poultry product that horrifying and had been protested and abolished by UN.

Now regarding the Hindus who feeds on beef. No financially they are not weak nor they feel that its the way to dominate others but they see it as a sign of freedom similarly as some considers smoking and drinking as a sign of potency.
But really is that the only possible thing you can potray your freedom ? Thats really immature.

Not only beef as an animal lover I demand end of all short of red meats.