The controversial beef ban in the country did trigger a lot
of turmoil in the masses. Traders saw it as an invasion over their business and
protested it in the best possible manner; and now the latest news from Kerala
where people are protesting the ban on the sale of cattle for butchering. They protested by killing a young calf in front
of a camera on a public road in Kannur.
This was an unexpected move for anybody. Not only did the
Congress Party but the entire country was surprised by this barbaric move. Everybody
was shocked at the incident and the social media fired up the outreach to
millions across the country. The ritual was as a protest against the government’s
move to ban the sale of cows.
But is this the first time when a ban has been placed on the
sale of cows? In the pre-independence era also there were bans on slaughtering
of cows and an age was decided for bulls and calves that were to be
slaughtered. Kerala is among the few states in India that has allowed the
slaughter of cows. Sometimes to fulfill the requirement of meat cows are
imported from the nearby Tamil Nadu and sometimes even smuggled. The Center’s
intervention in the state’s jurisdiction has made them jittery.
But logically the states had to be asked before taking such
a decision. Such a voting would have brought a more democratic opinion. The states
would have been ready to cope with the change and central assistance in the
matter would have been better. But the problem is that this is seen more as a
Hindutva decision rather than a government decision. Had it been the Congress
Party this would have been a different scenario. The central government would
have been seen as a Saffron Party and the state would have been efficient in controlling
the protest under a UDF government.
The ruling Communist party had many disputes with the center
on many issues. The latest being the Kochi Metro inaugural ceremony which was
planned deliberately on a day when the PM was busy the abrupt suspension of Mr.
SenKumar etc. The government whiplash would be really devastating on the Kerala
state if it still continues with its uncooperative attitude.
The innumerable killings of political workers in the state
are a matter of deep concern. In such a situation this incident of a public slaughter
of an animal is just raising questions on the state government. The offender
must have been caught and jailed immediately instead of allowing a ‘Beef Party’
in the middle of the street. And to accept that the state government with all
its police force cannot do anything to contain such a protest is really a black
mark in the Red Party’s flag.
But nonetheless this incident is surely a black mark on the
Congress Party whose workers were instrumental in this ordeal. Surely Rahul
Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi will have to take the heat of this barbarism in the
media as the issue has surely rattled many animal activists. There is a popular
belief that we should aim small so that we miss small. Probably they never
heard of it but surely this is going to damage Kerala’s image.
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