Meat Of Contention

States, including BJP-ruled ones, are trying to find a way around Centre’s cattle slaughter ban

- Rabi Banerjee And Lakshmi Subramanian

Bachcha Marak does not eat beef regularly. But the former BJP district president of North Garo Hills in Meghalaya has a beef with the Union government’s May 23 notification to ban the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets.

Bachcha joined the BJP last year with his friend Bernard Marak, who was the district president of West Garo Hills. A week ago, Bernard hosted a beef party to celebrate three years of the Narendra Modi government. He was reportedly asked to resign, and he obliged, saying he was a Garo first and then a politician. Bachcha followed suit on June 6.

“I cannot accept this [notification],” said Bachcha. “Why would not they understand that we need beef to survive? We the people of the hills have to eat meat for energy. Children are given beef, which comes at a low price.” He blamed the RSS for the ban. “I know the prime minister was asked by the RSS to take such a mindless decision.”

Also, Bachcha said the ban will affect the BJP politically— Meghalaya will go to the polls next year, and the party hopes to wrest power from the Congress. “People will give them a fitting reply in the coming days,” he said. State BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh, however, said there was no threat to the party’s chances in the northeast.

Meghalaya is not alone though. Other northeastern states, too, are openly opposing the ban. The Congress government in Mizoram said that it would not impose the ban. So did the Naga People’s Front-BJP government in Nagaland. State BJP president V. Lhoungu said beef was the main dish in almost the entire northeast region. “I hope our government would reconsider the ban,” he said.