Why Mr Modi must impose a strict ban on beef

The lynching of 50-year-old Mohammed Akhlaq for allegedly storing and eating beef is the most inhuman act. The murder is unpardonable irrespective of whether the family had slaughtered a cow and the killers should be awarded the severest punishment. They should even be hanged. Those supporting the killing should also be booked and tried under sedition laws. The less said the better of our political class, which has left no opportunity to milk the issue for narrow electoral gains.

The incident has been widely condemned in the harshest terms, and some have gone overboard while doing so. Some others have justified cow slaughter and beef eating, calling it a matter of personal choice and freedom, while few others have gone to the extent of saying that those who oppose beef eating reflect the medieval mindset of the Hindus. However, three facts prove otherwise:

1. Learning from US' ban on horsemeat

People in the West ate horsemeat since prehistoric times. However, they stopped after Pope Gregory III called the practice as “pagan” in 732 AD. Eating horsemeat was banned not only because of religious consideration, but also because of the utilitarian value of horses in hunting, travelling and warfare. Horses thereafter acquired a mythological status in American consciousness.

USA, world’s oldest secular democracy, passed the Wild free-roaming horses and burros Act of 1971 (public law 92-195) “to require the protection, management, and control of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands”. The Senate and House of Representatives declared that wild, free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. “It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands,” the Act said.

Americans do not eat horsemeat because they consider horses as their “pets” and “inappropriate as food”. Even though the ban was lifted in 2011 under Barack Obama, several states continue to have specific laws to prohibit the slaughter and sale of horsemeat, and Americans abhor eating the equine meat. They look for other options instead.

As in the US, the ban on cow slaughter in India too has some legal sanctions. It finds mention in Article 48 of Indian Constitution, under Part IV dealing with Directive Principles of State Policy, which states: “Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry — The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.”

Also, the states have their specific laws as in the US and cow slaughter is banned in 25 of the 29 states, having varying degrees of punishment and fine. Kerala, West Bengal and two Northeastern states - Nagaland and Meghalaya – do not have any law banning cow slaughter. With such a legal sanctity, cow slaughter is illegal in most parts of the country.

2. Following Mahatma Gandhi’s principle on cow slaughter

Any rational Indian quotes the Father of the Nation in matters of non-violence and secularism. They invoke Gandhi to ensure that sense prevails upon bigots and those who indulge in violence. However, such “Gandhians” seem to be indulging in double standards on the issue of cow slaughter by conveniently ignoring Bapu’s teachings.

These are just the few things Gandhi had said about the importance of cow and ban on its slaughter.

"I would not kill a human being for protection a cow, as I will not kill a cow for saving a human life, be it ever so precious…My religion teaches me that I should by personal conduct instill into the minds of those who might hold different views, the conviction that cow-killing is a sin and that, therefore, it ought to be abandoned…Cow slaughter can never be stopped by law. Knowledge, education, and the spirit of kindliness towards her alone can put an end to it. It will not be possible to save those animals that are a burden on the land or, perhaps, even man if he is a burden."

"My ambition is no less than to see the principle of cow protection established throughout the world. But that requires that I should set my own house thoroughly in order first…Cow protection to me is not mere protection of the cow. It means protection of that lives and is helpless and weak in the world…But let me reiterate….that legislative prohibition is the smallest part of any programme of cow protection."

"…People seem to think that, when a law is passed against any evil, it will die without any further effort. There never was a grosser self-deception. Legislation is intended and is effective against an ignorant or a small, evil-minded minority; but no legislation which is opposed by an intelligent and organised public opinion, or under cover of religion by a fanatical minority, can ever succeed. The more I study the question of cow protection, the stronger the conviction grows upon me that protection of the cow and her progeny can be attained only if there is continuous and sustained constructive effort along the lines suggested by me."

3. Hindu faith and respecting each other’s sentiments

Rationalists claim that several “liberated and rich” and the “the poor and lower castes like Dalits” among Hindus eat beef. They also argue in favour of freedom to eat beef.

But the cow is considered holy by the Hindus since ages. It may have been eaten when human beings were nomads but ever since human settlement began, the cow got associated with the evolving agrarian society. The bovine’s utility not only in agriculture but also in other aspects like giving milk and cowdung were valued.

As Gandhi said, "The central fact of Hinduism is cow protection. Cow protection to me is one of the most wonderful phenomena in human evolution. It takes the human being beyond this species...Why the cow was selected for apotheosis is obvious to me. The cow was in India the best companion. She was the giver of plenty. Not only did she give milk, but she also made agriculture possible…Cow protection is the gift of Hinduism to the world. And Hinduism will live so long as there are Hindus to protect the cow…Hindus will be judged not by their TILAKS, not by the correct chanting of MANTRAS, not by their pilgrimages, not by their most punctilious observances of caste rules, but their ability to protect the cow."

Even though dependence on cows has reduced, reverence to them is deeply entrenched. So much so that there are several Hindu families who worship and offer their first morsel to the bovine before eating their breakfast. The cow is likened to a mother by Hindus who grow up calling it “Gau Mata”.

A miniscule proportion among the so-called liberated people are beef eaters. Even among the poor, a handful eat cow meat. Most of them eat buffalo or bull meat, which is loosely referred to as beef. Islam or Christianity too do not ordain beef eating. By eating beef, or specifically cow meat, one is not only breaking the law, but also deliberately hurting the sentiments of Hindus.

If the “Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb” (communal harmony) has to flourish, respecting each others’ sentiments should be the basic ingredient to be followed in a multi-religious, multi-caste, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society like India. Cow slaughter has always been a point of major discord between communities since the Mughal period. Let us start by shunning cow slaughter if it will help reduce societal tension.