Beef Ban

"Dadri Lynching" sent shivers down most right-minded people's spine. I say "right-minded" because I knew few who support this mob justice.  I'm disgusted beyond my wits. Most horrific is UP police sending the food sample for lab testing to make sure whether it is beef or not. This religious intolerance has become a norm these days. Anybody who raises voice against it is called anti-Hindu or worse anti-national.

I feel this whole "beef banning" a absurd. I'm a hard core vegetarian and to be honest I'm just raised that way. Non-veg of any kind (chicken, mutton, pork, fish, beef) never tempted me. I may change in the future, you never know.

Beef is eaten by Muslims, Christians, and large number of Hindus too including upper caste (I hate to use this word). In ancient times Dalits were outcasted from society because they were consuming beef. They had their reason, sadly nobody tried to understand. It is rich in protein and less expensive compared to other meats. India is the second largest exporter of beef in the world market. It is a great policy, really. You kill cows/buffaloes for country's economical prosperity. And you kill country's citizens to implement "the beef banning. Wow. Just wow!

Has anybody thought what happens to old cows once they stop producing milk? Probably not. They were sold knowing very well about their future. Dairy cattle is a lot of hard work and it is rather unpractical to maintain un-barren cows or old cows. Humans domesticated animals to his benefits and should stay just the way it is.

What people eat should be their own business. After all everybody works damn hard to get meals on their table. Shouldn't it be of their choice? I wonder how people supporting beef ban will feel when the government orders complete ban on non-veg? I can hear them throwing a huge fit and crying about basic rights and all. It reminds me of the chapter we studied in history about beginning of the Sipai Mutiny. It is uprising of Indian soldiers against British superiors for introducing pork and beef-greased rifles, which has to be bitten before use, infuriating Muslims who don't eat pork and Hindus who don't eat beef.

There were no restrictions on the food we eat so far, but can we say the same thing in the future. Today beef, tomorrow pork, and then day after tomorrow may be potato-tomato-carrot? It would be even better if they can make a "National Diet and Nutritional chart, so all citizens can stay fit and healthy, thus downsizing budget on public health. I always knew I've it in me to be a policy making adviser (even if there is a thing called that). Time to change the profession. Pun unintended. To eat or not to eat, should be the matter of personal choice and nobody should impose views on others.

Cattle meat was not sacred in Vedic period. Swami Vivekanand points out "You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonies, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions, he must sacrifice a bull and eat it." And in Ayurveda too.

PS: Go on, call me pseudo intellectual. I just love to be intellectual either with suffix or prefix.