Banning Beef - Is it justified?

Banning Beef – Is it justified?


President Pranab Mukherjee has finally passed “Maharashtra Animal Preservation Bill”, 1995 which prohibits slaughtering of bullocks and bulls in the state of Maharashtra. There were mixed reactions after the 20 years old bill was passed. Where the Congress supported the action, NCP did not look very happy about the consequences that the bill might have on people. The Beef ban bill states that anyone found with beef or selling may be imprisoned up to 5 years and penalized for Rs 10000. Let us see how judicious the act is. Should Beef be banned in Maharashtra?

Yes

- It will end the riots related to cow and bull slaughter. It will be seen as a legal offense and not religious. The lines will be drawn clear.

- Animal rights would be empowered by such acts.

- Cow slaughter is banned in Maharashtra since 1976.The ban extends to bullocks and bull, which can be slaughtered with certificate and permission. An extension of the bill is absolutely justified.

- It is vital to respect sentiments in a pluralistic democracy. A majority of Hindus consider cow and bulls slaughter as a sin.

- It will encourage people to turn to vegetarianism or vegan. It will further encourage state to ban killing of other animals.

No

- A large number of people associated with the Beef industry will be unemployed. These people might involve in illegal trade.

- Beef is a cheaper source of protein compared to other forms and banning it will deprive the poor section of it.

- The ban is only on the beef from the Indian buffaloes that burden the farmers breeding them. It had been an alternate source of income for them.

- There will be losses in the Export business as a large part of beef export will be impacted by the ban.

- Various industries such as Pharma will be affected as many of their products involve ingredients like fats from buffaloes.

- State does not have a right to impose a certain food culture in any form on people. If it does, it becomes a theocratic state.

- It will hamper the cattle economy. There will be no one who will nurture buffalo, cows or bulls, which are neither useful for meat nor agricultural purposes.

- Nothing is done about imported beef. There are many restaurants that use Angus beef from USA and Australia.

Conclusion

Are you telling people to stop drinking milk just because it comes from a cow? It seems to be the same case here. People should be given a right to eat what they like.
Post your comment

    Discussion

  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -disha reddy (10/08/20)
  • banning beef is certainly not justified! who are you to take away the only joy of the underprivileged after a long day of work? who are you to say that the one thing that they get for a cheap price is the only thing they shouldn't eat? we live in a democracy and being just a 13 year old im honestly scared to live in this country cause after you guys go away im gonna be stuck in a country so driven by religious beliefs so divided by culture which was once rich! the word secularism is my favorite word in the constitution i though that it always described our country the best. but this beef ban is one of the few reasons that our country is slowly becoming non-secular. eating pork is banned in islam, eating an meat is banned in jainism. but how is that only beef has been banned? if we our a secular country we must look after the needs of every single person. we cannot force someone to not eat something that they worked hard to get. if you are uncomfortable with consuming meat then i will not force you. but you simply have no right to impose you beliefs on me. im not saying that cows are horrible creatures and they must be slaughtered, they are wonderful creatures infact I'm beginning to like them more than humans. but killing them for survival judiciously is fine, after all we are part of the ecosystem too and we are part of every food chain. eating choices can be amended by maybe decreasing slaughter of cows to a minimum such that the underprivileged still get their reward, we can improve the economy and give them alternatives for food too! but banning beef is not okay and nobody has the right to take that away!
  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -Husaina (11/16/17)
  • My post is dedicated to Mr Piyush.
    We are living in a democratic and secular country. India has a very diverse culture and tradition. If eating beef hurts the "sentiments" of Hindus than not eating beef also effects the Muslims,Christians,Parsis,etc. And speaking of humanity let me tell u in a way vegans are also slaughtering animals. In Diwali many people burst fire crackers and it causes danger to the environment as well as people and animals get affected by skin,lungs,eyes diseases and infections. Some even die.
    In Ganesh chaturthi Hindus do visarjan of ganapati and cause a threat to the aquatic life inside.
  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -husaina (11/16/17)
  • Seeing from my perspective banning on beef is just not justified. If people think that we are slaughtering animals and we are showing no humanity towards them than that is the same case of the vegans. If we are slaughtering animals than they are uprooting the plants fir their own greedy tongues. In science we have been learning from our childhood that plants and trees are also living organisms, and if we pluck a leaf or a flower from any plant that flower at that moment becomes dead. So why then even growing plants if vegans just want yo kill them! We should see from every point and the think and post ours. Which should be sensible I say....
  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -Monjil Handique (05/30/17)
  • how it is possible ??
    I am a hindu boy and i support central govt. for their devloping works.but i not a blind supporter of modi govt.
    as we know that india is a secular country and every one have right for own choice then it is harmful for us and also for our constiution@
  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -K.Rajasekhar (05/30/17)
  • Beef Ban will not stop the death of cow parmanently. As humanity people our responsibility is to provide Comfortable living, Comfortable Transportation and easy death to cow,chicken or any other animal which is growing and killing by people.It is enough for innocent animals and Chickens which is suffering in their life. The Government has to give guidlines to Meat Traders in such a way because pain is not only for cow.
  • RE: Banning Beef - Is it justified? -Deepika Bagwe (05/19/17)
  • If beef is banned than killing other animals such as hens and goats should also be banned.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Dikshika Dakhode (11/01/16)
  • ofcourse, beef banning is not justified at all. everyone should be given the right to eat whatever they want. the people who are talking about worshiping cow are the same who drinks cow's milk without providing it to calf. so, this indian culture is just bullshit and everyone should have given rights to eat whatever they want.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Mukesh Mehta (08/30/16)
  • Once have a look at this link..

    http://thewire.in/12170/what-mahatma-gandhi-said-to-those-who-wanted-beef-banned-in-india/
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Mukesh Mehta (08/30/16)
  • My post is reply to Miss. Sreshtha Saha...

    Can you show us the proof of not supporting the action against brutally raped girl. When we are concern about animals love, is that possible that we will not be in the favour of girl who raped brutally. Please don't write anything which is not reality.

    Have you thought why girls are brutally raped...what is root cause?
    Because men has that brutal mental state because of eating brutal things..
    Refer to YOGA philosophy it is sceitifically prooven that what you eat your thoughts will be accordingly.
    NOW PEOPLE ARE EATING ANIMALS, HOW CAN THAT THINK LIKE HUMAN???
    THINK DEEPLY, YOU WILL GET ANSWER.
    Do you think Human babies Body parts eating should be stopped?? In Japan, Korean and other countries that do.
    IN FAR FUTURE THIS WILL ALSO HAPPEN IN INDIA, WILL YOU STAND IN THE SIDE OF BANNING IT OR SUPPORT IT??
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Anasua (03/29/16)
  • Our country is a secular and democratic country.Here everything gets the priority or considered justified according to public's choice.There are several different religions where a clan worships buffaloes another slaughters them for food.I agree that it gives us adequate protein which is very essential for our health .But my question is ,aren't vegetarians physically fit or they don't live long as they are not taking beef a protein source?
    There are number of sources from where one can get sufficient quantity of protein like fish ,milk,seafood,eggs etc.So why are we supposed to take lives of those innocent harmless animals ?
    As well as to avoid riots and to maintain peace in our country we should not hurt others moral religious views .
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Piyush (03/17/16)
  • I see some extremely non sense comments from those who are against the beef ban. Logic without common sense is what makes them think of such thoughts. Perhaps they can not control their greedy tongues and that's why they are coming up with such idiotic comments like cheap protien and all. These guys should ask themselves if any part of them has remained human or not as there is no traces of humanity in their thoughts. I guarantee that there would definitely be some good protien/minerals/calories in human flesh as well then don't forget to eat your mother when she dies. I wonder how shameless, selfish and inhuman people can be. Just take a iron nail and pinch yourself an inch deep if you can. So your pain is pain, your life is life and who the hell gave you right to kill other animals just for the pleasure and then too when there are so many choice to avoid killing of animals. I have seen so much view points on this issue not today but in so many times in past but all come down to useless arguments that if killing should be avoided then why to eat vegetables, is that not killing etc etc. Or if we do not eat anilmals they will become so high in population etc etc. BUt they fail the see things in correct perpective. If a wolf kills animal for hunger its perfectly ok because to remain alive this is bare minimum requirement for him. If an elephant eats tree leaves or horse eats grass its perfectly ok. Because they are just sustaining their lives with bare minimum required violence. But if you can sustain well with bare minimum violence but start thinking of doing more and more killing for the pleasure of your sense that's where you leave the notion of humanity behind and act as a pure selfish. This is applicable to all animals and all religions which has a place for humanity. Many so called intellectuals start giving idiotic logics but if asked to talk about basic human values then also they may talk a lot but if check them in daily life they will never be able to implement human values, infact there is a big gap here. In a country like India people do not do anything unless there is a law and a strict law, rather people enjoy breaking the laws. In such a country sometimes people need to be taught difference between being logical and being sensible & humanitarian. As there is a limit to everything, if tolerant people are kept on being challenged then there would be a point when their tolerance might get over. Hope more human values are inculcated in society because one bad person is sure to degrade the generations through one's negativity and inhumanity.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Dr Jacob Varghese (12/27/15)
  • Not at all. People need to eat beef since it is cheap good protein. I recommend it to all my patients who come to my Manappuram dental clinic in Cochin. Personally I relish the fresh cow meat delivered to my apt in Soorya enclave Cochin so do others.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Jacob (12/19/15)
  • India is for all those who lives India, not only for Hindus who thinks that cow is Holy.
    How dare banning beef. How can our Indian leaders be so careless in making decision. It's a shame to let other country even know about this. No one is asking or forcing someone to eat beef and no one has the right to stop me in eating beef. Maybe cow is Holy to some people and that, however it's just a normal and ordinary food for me.
    Whats wrong with you people??????? Eating beef is not a crime, rape, murder or a discrimination.
    New rules are strange, is the world insane????????????????????.
    I will eat beef till I die..............
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Rajeev Agrawal (12/08/15)
  • YES, IT IS JUSTIFIED

    There should be all around awareness programme to make people understand the significance of Indian desi cow. Indian desi cow (not jersey cow or any other breed) has the superior and spiritual (not religious) value including her product like Milk, Urine & Gobar. There is direct link between her and mother earth. The peace and prosperity can be achieved on the earth by serving the desi cows. Therefore, service to Indian desi cow should not be linked to any religion.
    Her urine is used to cure dreaded disease like Cancer, AIDS and many other type of disease and her gobar can be used as an alternative source of energy through gobar plant for generating gas for cooking, gas for generating electricity and gas for running the vehicles etc. Gobar and urine also used as best available fertilizer & insecticides. Unfortunately chemical fertilizer and poisonous insecticides are used which is not only producing harmful crops but polluting ground water used for drinking purpose. Indian desi cows are the backbone of organic agriculture, instrumental for environment protection, healthcare and peace & prosperity on earth. In short she is the backbone of human welfare.
    We must work hard and target to bring law on complete ban on desi cow slaughter in the country through awareness programme, legal and political course. In order to achieve peace & prosperity on the Earth, we must put pressure on Modi Government to bring a law for complete ban on slaughter of desi cow, including calf & bulls.
    Er. Rajeev Agrawal
    desicow2015@gmail.com
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Aman palit (12/02/15)
  • yes obviously it is... never mind that india is a secular country or thing like that..
    the thing is that we live in a country that has got a hindu majority and we all have love and respect for cow and well call her gomata...in that sense slaughtering cows in public and eating beef seems to be hurting the religious sentiment of all the indians. and that i think wouldn't be a least justified. just to fulfill your vested needs, just to fill you appetite it can't be that you hurt someone's sentiment... and for all those peoples who today raise there voice for letting them to publicly eat beef may i ask if tommorow you are in pak or bangladesh and you feel of eating pork will you dare to raise your voice...
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Ashthad (11/07/15)
  • I think the uneducated politicians have lost their mind and trying to control what we can and can not eat. Indians or so called Hindus are one of the most hypocrites on this earth preach one thing and practice another. I am Hindu living overseas and when you go to McDonald's or Burger King you see more Hindus there than the other community. Beef Ban is just to create controversy between the religion the Divide and Rule.
    why not Ban all meat and that includes eggs. You are eating eggs by taking away a mother's child even before they are born.
    And what is wrong with the educated bunch in India for electing these gunda raaj politicians.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -aadish sai (11/04/15)
  • COW: a holy cattle in india ,is used in the fields, it is worshipped in india as well.
    But the thing is Who gives these cows to the slotter houses??
    IT is the same people who worship it
    "INDIA THE BIGGEST DEMOCRACY"
    it is a democracy because it stops people from eating meat
    It is a democracy because it stops people from same sex marriage
    It is democratic because it stops people from committing suicides (which is a good thing) by by putting them behind the bars for 1-2years
    Thats the only reason it is called the incredible india
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Dilip (10/31/15)
  • Nope. . It is not... As I read someone's comment, they had mentioned that Islam ppl have banned pig consumption as it 's again there religion, Hindus should also ban beef...... . Islam's have banned pork consumption, but oly for Islam ppl, not Hindus, they are not asking Hindus to stop eating pork.. Same way if the Hindus don't want to wat beef let them not.. But let others eat...
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -ren kyong (10/28/15)
  • well i can say that it is not justified.. banning of beef just for the sake of Hindu is totally wrong and it brought religious intolerance..being a democratic country every has their own right enacted by the law
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Amu (10/28/15)
  • Dear Advocates of Vegetarianism
    Human beings are biologically omnivorores. We have features and organs that allow us to digest cellulose-free plant matter and meat efficiently. The difference between humans and other onmivores like apes and bears is that we are much more developed in terms of consciousness so as to decide what is right and wrong for us. The population of the world now stands at 8 billion out of which around 8% is estimated to be vegetarians and vegans. That gives us around 90% of meat consuming population. The amount of protein that 1 kilo of meat provides (average protein requirement for an adult/week) roughly equals 6-10 kilo of plant matter depending on the type of plant. The total arable land in the world is1,396 M ha out of 13,000 M ha of land on earth. This fraction of land supports all the crops that vegetarians, vegans and non-vegetarians consume. Can you imagine the kind of pressure it would put on earth if 8 billion people decided to go vegetarian or worse vegan overnight? Our world as we know now will never survive that. The pressure that such a transition would put on our land resources would be so immense eventually resulting in mass starvation. And moreover its not just humans who need food. Herbivores, the killing and consumption of which are supposedly off bounds also need the same plant matter that vegetarians and vegans require. Its a recipe for disaster as the competition for the same food source will again require killing of the other plant eating species thus, invalidating the whole point of turning vegetarian or vegan (humanity) and even the extinction of the human race with it.
    Proud Non-vegetarian
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Amu (10/28/15)
  • Banning a particular food item just because it doesn't conform with the beliefs of a particular community even if it is a majority is simply not justified. It is most absurd, as then we should ban pork as it is haraam for muslims, we should ban onions and potatoes and all kinds of roots because the jain community can not have them etc. India is a secular country. It does not place the interest of one community over another constitutionally. Please don't take away the beauty of the most diverse nation in the world by passing such absurd laws. We as a nation has given every right to every citizen to eat whatever they choose to eat as long as the animal is not endangered and is not the national animal or bird. Any one who aims at imposing their religeous beliefs on people is undermining the true spirit of democracy that our forefathers had in mind while drafting the constitution. A comment above mentioned that if there are 100 people in the room and 95 of them are non smokers and 5 are smokers then smoking would be banned in that room. This is a very wierd comparison. 5 smokers smoking in that room obviously affects the 95 who don't because there is such a thing as passive smoking and the non smokers will be forced to inhale the ciggarette smoke. There is no such thing as passive eating so a person eating beef right beside you won't mean the beef gets ingested into your stomach without you wanting it to. So let the people who eat beef eat it. As long as it doesn't physically harm anyone else it is none of their business. If anything is to be banned ban rape, honour killings, polygamy, corruption etc. There are more important things that the government has to look into than the petty whims and fancies of a group of people. No community dictates anything in this country and any one who aims to undermine the diversity and beauty of our country and its people are simply pathetic fanatics who have nothing better to do.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Shubham singh (10/26/15)
  • If u r living country lyk india where a Major part of population have religious relationship wid cow, then you should be ready for some scarification, And it will be not challenging to formers for nurtur cow on milk basis without slaughter them for beef.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -abhishek (10/26/15)
  • if we talk about protein than how beef is a source of protein. there are many other sources also
  • Banning Beef, is justified -Monica (10/22/15)
  • Cow slaughtering should definitely be banned.
    Putting a stop to murdering a mother or a father is not for or against any religion.
    Vedas speak importance about of cow protection. Happy cows means happy people and a civilized society. The Vedas came into existence before any religion…..so please stop making this about religion.
    Vedas gives several reasons why cows should be revered. One of the many reasons is that all the God’s administrators, who are in charge of a certain element like rain, wind, fire….etc reside in the mother cow because cow is the most forgiving and kind animal. Mother Ganges itself resides in cows urine, hence cow urine is used considered so pure and is potent enough to cure any disease.
    Before one takes the responsibility to fight against been ban, once should first try to understand why cow is considered important in the first place. The fight is not against eating something one may like while other may not.
    Different religions came into existence at different times with the essence of every religion being the same “to realize GOD, to surrender to the LORD and to establish a relationship with the Supreme”. Different religion came into existence at difference times to mainly educate the section of people about God in the language they understood. A first grade kid will only understand what is taught to him in first grade. The kid will not be able to make sense of syllabus of 10th grader. But the first grader will have to learn what is taught in 1st grade, then 2nd grade…and so on before he understands what is taught in 10th grade. If you read Koran, it speaks to how one should wash their hands and sex with a mother is prohibited…etc. This means there were many people that did not even know how to wash their hands. And if people at that time were so morally fallen, how they could understand about importance of cows….so that part was left out of the holy Koran. The Koran however does mention that all livings are children of God (which means killing anyone is killing God’s child). The holy Koran does mention to offer everything to God. How can one kill God’s child and say to the Lord that I murdered your child and am offering it to you. Similarly all the religious holy books were written to bring people at human level so that they develop enough conspicuous and understand God’s message of “to realize GOD, to surrender to the LORD and to establish a relationship with the Supreme”.
    Killing cows is killing human civilization. Banning the slaughtering of cows will hopefully resolve most of the problems we face today.
    The decision of banning cow slaughtering should however be taken after consulting few of the most knowledgeable religious (all religions) people. The Decision should not be based on the online polls. A person habitual in killing and eating animals is already drowned in lust for taste and cannot be considered to make a rationale and wise decision. You cannot ask a drug/smoke addict if drugs/cigarettes should be banned or not. A wise person has to make a decision for them.
    India should not only stop slaughtering of the cows but also provide protection and food to them. We should utilize both cows and bulls for medicinal, farming and for endless purposes it benefits us with. Once we know how to utilize them, we won’t think of selling them, killing them or throwing it to the killers.
    If this happens, no one can stop India from prospering.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -sreelakshmi sobhakumar (10/22/15)
  • Firstly, India is a secular country which follows the concept UNITY IN DIVERSITY. so if we support beef banning it will surely disturbs the concept and will surely leads to conflict between people on the basis of religion. people in India have the right to eat whatever they want, so no one is compressing anyone to eat or not to eat any food . It is their choice . so if hindus believes that cow is a sacred animal , they can avoid eating them, others can follow their own believes..
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -b gill (10/20/15)
  • HELLO MY HINDU FRIENDS,
    I RESPECT THE BAN ALTHOUGH MY RELIGION DOES NOT PROHIBITS BEEF EATING AND ALSO THE FACT THAT I LOVE BEEF. I HAVE GAVE UP BEEF. MY RELIGION BELIEVES THAT ALL LIVING THINGS AND ANIMALS EVOLVED FROM THE, RESTPECTED AND GREAT PLANT LONG LONG AGO CALLED RICE, PRAISE BE TO RICE. SO THEREFORE WE WORSHIP RICE AND EATING RICE IN MY RELIGION IS A GRAVE OFFENCE AND SIN. THEREFORE AS I RESPECT YOUR RELIGION BY NOT EATING BEEF, I ALSO URGE YOU HINDU FRINDS TO DO THE SAME AND STOP EATING RICE. I KNOW MY HINDU FRINDS WILL ALSO RESPECT MY RELIGION JUST AS I HAVE RESPECTED THEIRS. THANK YOU. LOOKING FORWARD FOR THE BAN ON RICE.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -B gill (10/20/15)
  • My religion believes that all life form and all us human comes from the great plant called Rice..we worship our beloved Mother Rice , praise be to Rice for giving life. so I humbly request you to please ban eating Rice too just as you banned beef. I say urge all hindus to respect my religion as I respect theirs...I have stop eating beef so I expect them to do the same with rice.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -Animal Lover (10/13/15)
  • Yes it is justified. Let me ask a question to those who cry that we are taking away the rights of minority to eat what they want. If a section of cannibals would like to eat human beings should we allow that also as a so called secular state? It is no question of secularism here...we are trying to protect animals that work all their lives for us. Just an attitude of gratitude. Why can't they eat dogs and cats? will they? Why only beef? Can they demand eating pork in all countries? When they go there what happened to their freedom? There has to be a full stop somewhere. You can't go on a rampage in the name of secularism and freedom. What about the freedom of cows, calves and bulls? who will protect their rights? you can do whatever you want since they are helpless? come on have a heart.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -pushkar srivastava (10/11/15)
  • banning of beef is justified in every aspects. As many of my friends earlier said that why the hell government is not banning on all types of meet. It should banned all meat products.Today u are saying that it will spoil the balance if we banned it. But my dear just think about the human being it is increasing exponentially . Is it not spoiling the balance? If today you are saying that we should eat them for maintaining the balance whats the guarantee that tomorrow you will not say that we should eat Human being too for keeping the balance. If nature has given the birth it will take the life naturally we should not have any right to kill animal for our needs.

    thank u all of u.
  • RE: Banning Beef – Is it justified? -a citizen of india (10/11/15)
  • India comprises more of hindus,who dont perfer beef.Only very less people i.e minor community people eat beef.So what is the requirement of banning an animal which is less consumed when compared with goat or chicken which is consumed in a very higher quantity.....Some say that india consists more hindus So their preference is to be more respected but before giving preference to majority people, who dont have beef if we once go through the bill,it is protecting animals(not specifed cow or goat or anything) but not depriving ourselves of our democracy or secularism(giving preference to one neglecting other).Finally i would like 2 say banning is not very supportive because this is a cycle of life and the bigger animal has to kill a smaller animal for cycle to run well as far as there is no imbalance..