Cow Slaughter in India: Religious Conflict in a ‘Secular’ Nation
On October 19th, protests erupted in Kashmir erupted in response to the death of 19-year-old Zahid Rasool Baht. Baht had been burned to death for allegedly ignoring a ban on cow slaughtering in Kashmir. Baht’s death comes in the midst of rising national tensions over the consumption of beef in India. In September, a man was beaten in Uttar Pradesh over rumors that his family was consuming and storing beef and while another in March was forced to tie a noose around his neck before being subject to beating for his involvement in the cow trade.
These developments have drawn criticism towards current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former Disinvestment Minister , Arun Shourie, stated that “there has never been as great a centralization of functions… in the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) as now” and “there was never a weaker PMO as now.”
Cow Consumption and Trade in India
Despite statements from both former Prime Minister Rajnath Singh and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocating the ban on cow slaughter, India was the largest exporter of beef in 2014 according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It was also found that beef exports increased 16% since Prime Minister Modi came to power.
In the same vein, it was found that beef consumers in India included, for the most part, Muslims and Christians. Beef is known to to be the “poor man’s food”. Party State President V Muraleedharan of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stated that in Kerala, where 60% of the population consumes red meat, “the party won’t interfere with what people eat”.
A Secular State?
This conflict regarding cow slaughter stems primarily from the clash between the beliefs of the Hindu population on one hand and those of the Muslim and Christian populations on the other. A 2011 census, released in 2014, found that the Hindu population represents 78.35% of India while Muslims represent 24.4%. The belief that the sacred “mother-cow” is supported by the BJP and the PM Modi is also widespread.
Chief Minister of Haryana the BJP, Manohar Lal Khattar, stated in an interview with the Indian Express newspaper that “Muslims can continue to live in this country, but they will have to give up eating beef”. Following backlash to his statement, Khattar claimed that his statement may have been “misunderstood”, adding that “It is written nowhere that Muslims have to eat beef, nor is it written anywhere in Christianity that they have to eat beef.”
However, India has a secular Constitution. It is stated in several Articles in the Indian Constitution that all persons are entitled to the freedom of religion. Article 15 in particular states that “The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion” while Article 25 that “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.”
Indian Law, however, reflects a different reality. Maharashtra, the second most populous state in India, made the sale of beef punishable by 5 years of prison. Similarly, thousands of butchers and vendors in Mumbai have been suspended and in Malegaon, Muslims accused of calf slaughter were arrested and forced to send “mugshots of cows and bulls to a cattle registry”.
As the protests continue and intensify, some have even gone as far to organize beef-eating festivals. It is clear from the increasingly violent nature of protests that such conflict goes beyond the mere act of cow slaughter. Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim region, saw protesters throwing rocks and government forces responding with tear gas A more pressing and pertinent question throughout this conflict has been and continues to be when the Prime Minister will break his silence and what this means for religion and politics in India in the time to come.