Dr Asangba Tzudir
Against a backdrop of India’s much vaunted ‘unity in diversity’, the issue of cow has taken centre stage once again. There has been a huge hue and cry against the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra,’ which is scheduled for September 28, 2024 in the state capital Kohima, an event that is aimed at promoting the ban on cow slaughter.
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has also expressed its concerns regarding the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra’ while stating that they are “a secular political party with its principles enshrined in the Constitution of India,” and that their priority is to “protect the rights, privileges, and sentiments of the people of the State” drawing from Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which safeguards the “religious and social practices” of the Naga people. That, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the state government had already decided against implementing the “Ban on Cow Slaughter Act 2019” in light of these constitutional provisions, and which still stands.
NDPP pointed out that the Republic of India has always allowed states to decide on laws and legislations based on their unique needs, noting that other regions like North-East, Kerala, and West Bengal have similarly chosen not to implement the 2019 Act. As such, to organize such an event as announced would go against the sentiments of the people of the State.
Well, the ‘sacredness’ of cows in the country is deeply felt and rooted in the history of Hinduism. Bringing the Indian case in the context of Hinduism in relation to the idea of ‘sacred’ and ‘sacrifice,’ while animals like bull, goat, etc. are considered sacred and can be sacrificed by killing and have ‘sacrificial value’, the context changes in the case of the cows. The cow is also considered sacred but cannot be sacrificed and thereby does not have a sacrificial value. It is only killed without any sacrificial value and thereby a worthless kill without adding any religious value in the context of religion.
While the thing considered as sacred is connected to god, goddesses and certain animals are treated as holy, there is an emergence of a different understanding wherein the one who is considered as sacred cannot be sacrificed and instead killed for food and mass consumption. For all the sacredness it holds, it has been an essential source of affordable protein for many sections of people and also a major source of economic livelihood for the country. Beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world accounting for about 25% of meat production worldwide. India is among the world’s largest exporter of beef in the world. India’s exports of beef also increased in 2023 and reached USD 3,480 million as compared to the previous years which recorded a decline in beef exports due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
India’s exports of beef create a paradoxical situation, a parallel contradiction where exports of beef are encouraged and at the same time protecting cows in the name of religion by trying to put a ban on Cow Slaughter. This means killing of cows is permitted so long as it is sent abroad? Can the Central government bring an ordinance that puts a blanket ban on beef exports? In the name of religion, fish can also be recommended for ban because fish was considered an avatar of Vishnu. If it is a question of religious sensitivities, then pork and alcohol should also be banned because Muslims disapprove of both.
For a country which claims to be the largest democracy in the world, and within the diversities with the ever sensitive nature and other intolerances, be it political, social, religion, cultural, ethical and moral, almost every food especially non-vegetarian item will become an issue. This raises a question - what can we eat?
‘Sacredness’ and ‘sacrifice’ are terms that are associated with the cow, and lies at a threshold between a sensitive religious issue for a religious community and a protein supplement for the world. And so long as India continues the Beef export, the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra only reinforces the paradoxical situation.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes guest editorials for The Morung Express. Comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
