Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Hypocrisy over cow slaughter in India: Muslims don't consume beef but are unfairly blamed, constantly targeted

The Congress workers said that they slaughtered the cow to protest the beef ban.

In Kerala and many other states, beef is consumed by the Hindu populace.

Though in North Indian states, it is illegal and there are strict laws against cow slaughter.

BJP-RSS stand on beef keeps changing, depending on party's poll prospects in a state. It changes from region to region, leader to leader. There is no clarity.

They speak in a different voice in North India and a different voice in South, North East, Eastern India and states like Goa. Principally, BJP is against beef consumption as it feels it is against nation's thous though the most indigenous tribal have been beef eaters.

On one hand, BJP's Hindu leaders have repeatedly said that they have no problem with beef, its Muslim face Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had said that the beef eaters should be sent to Pakistan.

1. Apart from the incident, beef fests were organised in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They were all Hindus who were performing cow slaughter and eating beef. LINK

2. Muslims avoid beef because the Hindu majority considers cow as a holy animal. Mostly, it is the Hindu populace in different parts of the country--South, East, North Eastern States and Tribal regions, that consume beef.

3. In Goa, where BJP has been the ruling party, beef is not banned. In North Eastern states,  BJP has openly said that it is not against beef. In Kerala, its leaders have offered 'quality beef' in case they are elected.

4. Union minister Kiran Rijiju had said that he consumed beef and no one can force their dietary preferences on him.

5. Even, RSS leaders who went to North East, said that a person who consumes beef could join the Sangh.

6. Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar had said that government can't take position on issues like consumption of beef. "Beef consumption is a matter of personal opinion", he had said. LINK

7. BJP leader quit party over beef ban. Three days after saying the would reduce beef prices in Meghalaya if he were elected, Bernard N Marak quit BJP, stating that the party was trying to impose its ideology on people. He had said that in Meghalaya, most BJP leaders eat beef. LINK and LINK

Later, another BJP leader Bachu Marak resigned from party against the cattle trade legislation. He said that beef was staple food in Meghalaya. 5,000 members of BJP also quit the party, unhappy with BJP move. LINK

8. BJP leader in Karnataka, Vaman Acharya, who is party spokesman, said Brahmins used to slaughter cows and ate beef, in the past. Later, he retracted the statement, saying he wanted to close the issue. Clearly, he seemed to avoid controversy or under pressure now. LINK

9. Tarun Vijay says that eating habits of North Indians can not be imposed across the country. In an article in Panchjanya, he wrote that cow vigilantes should read likes of Vivekananda and VD Savarkar to understand that habits of people in N Indian can't be imposed across country. LINK

Still, right-wing groups use the issue of 'beef' to target Muslims. Muslims do eat buffalo meat, which is wrongly termed 'beef' in English media. Unfortunately, Muslims are nowhere in picture, they respect laws and even the sentiments of the Hindus, yet, they remain on target.

When it comes to cow vigilantism, the Muslims are targeted. Laws are applied in such a manner that a person is booked even if he is not carrying beef--as the sample would be tested later. Even an armyman's father, Akhlaq, was murdered over a 'suspicion that there was beef in the fridge of his house'.