In a shocking incident, Ankur Kumar, son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Ashok Kumar, allegedly thrashed a food vendor for the simple reason that he did not like the food prepared by the vendor. The incident took place yesterday at a residential hotel owned by the MLA situated at Dharamshala Chowk of Sasaram city police station, Bihar.
Rohtas: Ankur Kumar, son of RJD MLA from Sasaram, Ashok Kumar, allegedly thrashed a street vendor yesterday at a residential hotel of his father, ‘Ankur hotel’ in Sasaram. The boy is undergoing treatment at a hospital. Case registered against Ankur Kumar & 2 others. #Biharpic.twitter.com/xxnonJ8s6Z
It is alleged that Ankur Kumar ordered the victim named Rajat Kesari who ran a food stall at the Station road, to deliver some food at the residential hotel named ‘Ankur Hotel’, that is owned by his father. But he did not like the food and broke into a fight with Kesari. He then called his friends and they all brutally thrashed the victim inside the hotel.
The victim was admitted to a hospital in Jamuhar where he was operated for some head injuries. Police took the statement of the victim after he gained consciousness.
Sasaram SSP Rajesh Kumar told that a case has been based on the statement of the victim and that an investigation will be carried out in the case. All the four accused including Ankur Sharma are absconding. Ankur Sharma is alleged to have been involved in similar activities earlier too.
According to reports, the aircraft carrying PM Modi will not fly over Pakistan airspace during his visit to Kyrgyzstan for the SCO summit. The decision comes after Pakistan had approved in principle to let PM Modi’s aircraft fly over its airspace to Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan.
Instead of flying over Pakistan, PM Modi’s aircraft will fly over Oman, Iran, and central Asian countries on its way to Bishkek, the official spokesperson said.
MEA: Government of India had explored two options for the route to be taken by the VVIP Aircraft to Bishkek for the SCO Summit. A decision has now been taken that the VVIP Aircraft will fly via Oman, Iran and Central Asian countries on the way to Bishkek. pic.twitter.com/RKNJM8wrf7
India had earlier requested Pakistan to allow PM Modi’s aircraft to fly over its airspace to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) meet to be held on June 13-14. Pakistani officials confirmed Imran Khan government’s approval to allow PM Modi’s travel through its airspace to Bikshek.
Since the retaliatory airstrikes carried out by the Indian Airforce on the JeM terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot, it has closed down its airspace fearing another such attack from the Indian Airforce. They have opened only 2 of the 11 routes since then that passes through southern Pakistan. Apart from these two routes, the neighbouring country’s airspace remains closed for other commercial flights. Due to this, the international flights that used to fly over Pakistan are having to use longer routes, and most airlines have chosen to fly over the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, while some flights connecting Chinese cities are bypassing Pakistan from the northern side.
Earlier this year, Pakistan had permitted External Affairs Minister of India, Sushma Swaraj to fly through its airspace to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on May 21.
The government of India had received flak for seeking permission to fly through Pakistan airspace. Many political analysts observed that Indian Prime Minister’s visit through Pakistan airspace would undo India’s assiduous measures to single out Pakistan internationally.
The current move of bypassing Pakistan airspace and flying through central Asian countries reaffirms India’s policy of isolating Pakistan for its support to terror outfits against her.
There is a growing hegemony of Muslim gangs at three high-security prisons in the United Kingdom. The latest report by the UK Ministry of Justice touches upon this alarming situation along with how these groups are foisting their Islamic beliefs on other inmates. The report suggests these groups aim at bringing other inmates under the fold of Islam to strengthen their ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in the prison.
Muslim gangs are forcing prisoners to convert to Islam in the UK, that’s according to a new @MoJGovUK report.
According to the study, there is a significant presence of Muslim prisoners in three high-security prisons in England. About 12847 prisoners in these prisons are Muslims. Out of the total number of prisoners lodged in for the charges of terrorism, 90% are Muslims. The preponderance of Muslim detainees has resulted in the formation of groups and gangs within jails with ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ being a uniting factor for these seemingly diverse and heterogeneous groups of individuals.
The study entails how the Muslim prison gangs, which are often formed for criminal purposes, present both a management challenge due to criminal behaviour and sometimes through the risk of radicalization. Though these gangs and groups are not highly structured, they have an established hierarchical system.
The Muslim Brotherhood has allowed them to surround themselves with like-minded individuals with whom they share a common interest and focus. The study conducted by the Ministry of Justice revealed that individuals of the Muslim Brotherhood groups connected through a shared Muslim faith wielded more influence and dominance in the prison than other groups. The membership offered many supportive benefits including friendship, support, and religious familiarity.
The gang has clearly defined membership roles including leaders, recruiters, enforcers, followers, and foot-soldiers. Violence, bullying, and intimidation were prevalent with the gang, and religion is used to terrorize non-believers.
Most of the contraband goods circulated in the prisons were credited to these Muslim gangs. There were varied motivations for people to join groups such as- protection, safety, criminality, and power. Brotherhood provided lone vulnerable prisoners with a social setting. Many were proselytized to Islam by the leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood, who were often hailed by the gang members as scholars of Islam. The prisoners converted to Islam citing social acceptability and Islam offering them a ‘stricter’ way of life as primary reasons for the same.
An elaborate hierarchy was formulated to regulate and expand the group in the prisons. The roles assumed by gang members divided into leaders, recruiters, enforcers, and followers. Leaders, often the senior members in the gang, incarcerated in jail on terror charges generally spoke Arabic and claimed to be scholars of Islam. The younger ones were usually in awe of such leaders, often displaying excessive deference to their position and authority.
Recruiters were considered fundamental to the continuing dominance of Muslim gangs in the prisons. Prisoners, most vulnerable ones were approached to embrace Islam and join their Brotherhood. Coercion, pressure, violence were some of the themes adopted by the recruiters to increase the membership and continued dominance of their gangs. Indirect aggression was also employed as a psychological means to coerce inmates to convert.
Followers and foot-soldiers converted to Islam for criminality or under duress. They were expected to carry out criminal or violent activities directed by their leaders. Some foot-soldiers assumed the roles of Enforces to ensure strict adherence to Islamic doctrines and commitment towards the Brotherhood leaders.
Though the gang members appeared outwardly compliant to the prison staff, the rising amount of radicalization perpetuated by them is increasingly subversive of the prison management. The rampant radicalization within UK prisons is only set to worsen as the prison mates’ desire to command more authority, wield more influence and accumulate greater power intensifies. Prominent political commentators like David Vance had suggested building a Guantanamo kind of prison to contain the toxic radicalization in the UK prisons.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided seven locations across Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu today, over a suspected link between an Islamic State (IS) module in Coimbatore and serial blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter eve. This attack had killed over 300 people in the island country.
Tamil Nadu: NIA raids are currently underway at 7 locations in Coimbatore.
As per reports, the raids began at 6 am in the morning and are being supervised by 7 DSPs. A team of NIA officials have reportedly reached Coimbatore in the morning.
The residences of some suspected individuals named Sadham, Akbar, Akram, Azharuddin, Abubakkar, Idiyathullah and Sakhimshah are being raided by NIA.
It is reported that a fresh case of ISIS supported module was registered in Coimbatore. The suspected individuals were allegedly found interacting and monitoring the developments regarding NTJ, the organisation behind the Easter Bombings. They were also allegedly connected with main accused Zahran Hashim over social media.
NIA is looking into all electronic equipment, mobile phones and computers of these individuals.
According to reports, last month, an Inspector General had led a two-member NIA team to Colombo to coordinate with the Sri Lankan authorities to investigate the serial attacks.
“We have our own FIR against ISIS modules. The visit is not to assist Sri Lanka with their probe but to see if an exchange of information and evidence gathered by us and they can be mutually beneficial,” NIA official had revealed.
Earlier this year, the NIA had chargesheeted Mohamed Ashiq A, Ismail S, Samsudeen, Mohammed Salahuddin S, Jafar Shadik Ali and Shahul Hameed in a case related to an ISIS module in Coimbatore. A major attack on South Indian leaders and a possible attack on the Indian consulate in Colombo was suspected from the evidence gathered and the interrogations of the arrested individuals. NTJ’s videos were also found. India had shared this information with their Sri Lankan counterparts with a warning.
Sri Lankan authorities, too, had admitted that despite India’s multiple warnings about a possible major terrorist attack, they had failed to prevent the Easter bombings in April.
During his recent visit to Sri Lanka on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged solidarity with the people of the country and had promised all possible support.
Chinese Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen met Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal yesterday in Delhi to discuss matters relating to trade between the two neighbour countries.
In the meeting, Piyush Goyal raised the matter of market-distorting trade practices used by Chinese exporters, which is hurting the Indian manufacturing sector. It is widely believed that Chinese exporters indulge in dumping of their products, or selling below the cost price, which flood the target market with China made products while the local manufacturing in that country suffers as they can’t compete with the low-price Chinese products.
Had a meeting with China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce, Wang Shouwen and discussed bringing a trade balance between the two nations, clamping down on market distorting trade practices and boosting Indian service exports. pic.twitter.com/sl8keLUSo6
During the meeting Mr Goyal emphasised on the trade balance between India and China, and said that China should increase the import from India’s service sector, to correct the distorted trade balance. Informing about the meeting, Piyush Goyal posted on Social media saying, “Had a meeting with China’s Vice-Minister of Commerce, Wang Shouwen and discussed bringing a trade balance between the two nations, clamping down on market distorting trade practices and boosting Indian service exports.”
According to a report by ABP News, during the meeting, Goyal asked Shouwen how Chinese exporters are able to sell their products at below cost price. To this, the Commerce vice-minister reportedly said that the traders were taking undue benefits of Chinese Tax rebates given on exports. According to the report, Wang Shouwen said that the exporters in China are over‑invoicing their exports, which enable them to claim higher amounts of tax rebates. The money received from this rebate is passed on to overseas importers as discounts, which effectively bring down the price.
According to Chinese regulations, exporters of electronic gadgets and many other products can claim value added tax rebate worth 17% on the value of the product. Other categories of products are eligible for lower rebates at various rates depending on the type of product. Therefore, if they over‑invoice their exports, they get substantial tax rebates which enables them to sell at low prices, even at below cost price.
Held a meeting with Minister of Steel @DPradhanBJP & Steel Industry representatives
Discussed protectionist measures imposed by countries and resolved to take tariff & non-tariff measures to reduce unnecessary imports & boost exports, to spur job growthhttps://t.co/zgyGMuowWVpic.twitter.com/aOl8iTKRN4
In the meanwhile, Piyush Goyal also informed that the government is mulling tariff and non-tariff measures to reduce unnecessary imports and boost exports, in an order to increase job opportunities, especially in the steel sector. This was discussed during a meeting he had with Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and representatives of the steel industry. The protectionist measures imposed by other countries were also discussed in the meeting.
Both the Ministers assured the steel industry that they will make all efforts to ensure that engineering goods exports double in the next 5 years and reach USD 200 billion by 2030.
Last year, Oxfam was hit by a pay-for-sex scandal after an investigation by The Times newspaper alleged that the charity organization covered up misconduct by senior aid workers in Haiti including the then country-director Ronald van Hauwermeiren.
The newspaper claimed that a confidential report by the charity found that Hauwermeiren had solicited prostitutes in the villa rented to him by the charity for operations in Haiti. Allegations of sexual exploitation of children were also present in the report but the charity stated that such allegations are unproven.
Now, further revolting details have emerged of the charity’s misdeeds in Haiti. The report by the Charity Commission claims that the organization “tolerated poor behaviour” and it approached allegations with the desire “to protect its reputation and donor relationships”.
The most damning allegation in the report remarks that victims of abuse were sent back to conflict zones by Oxfam to protect the sexual predators. It says, “Beneficiaries who raised complaints against Oxfam GB and UN staff were removed from camps and repatriated back to conflict zones by staff who wanted to protect their colleagues.”
The Commission also found that Oxfam failed to adequately investigate allegations of sexual misconduct involving a 12-year-old and 13 years old. The allegations of child abuse by its staff were not reported as they should have been and were not frank about the entire matter.
“What went wrong in Haiti did not happen in isolation. Our inquiry demonstrates that, over a period of years, Oxfam’s internal culture tolerated poor behaviour, and at times lost sight of the values it stands for,” said Helen Stephenson, chief executive of the Charity Commission, which set up an inquiry into the allegations last year.
Oxfam’s Chair of Trustees, Caroline Thompson, said that the organization accepted the findings in the Commission report. “The Commission’s findings are very uncomfortable for Oxfam GB but we accept them. We now know that the 2011 investigation and reporting of what happened in Haiti were flawed; more should have been done to establish whether minors were involved,” she said in a statement.
The Deputy Head of Oxfam, Penny Lawrence, had resigned last year after the allegations surfaced admitting the charity’s inadequate response to past allegations of sexual misconduct by its workers in Haiti. Hauwermeiren resigned in 2011 after admitting that prostitutes had visited his villa.
There seems to be no end to the political violence in West Bengal. In yet another horrific incident a BJP worker from Englishbazar, Malda, Anil Singh was found brutally murdered and his body charred in Badhapukur, Malda. The party worker had been missing for the last two days.
The BJP in West Bengal held the Trinamool Congress goons responsible for this heinous crime.
Anil Singh, another BJP worker from Englishbazar, Malda was brutally murdered and burnt by @mamataofficial’s goons. He was missing from last few days.
Why are the chest thumping liberals of ‘award wapasi’ fame silent now?
Is it because West Bengal is not ruled by the BJP, yet? pic.twitter.com/WN3Ajhuxb4
The body had several wound marks on it and a probe in the matter has been initiated by the English Bazar police.
The BJP is planning to stage another protest in the state against the killing of its workers.
Another supporter of the party was strangulated to death allegedly for chanting “Jai Shri Ram” by workers of the Trinamool Congress in the state’s Howrah district. Though the West Bengal police remained close-mouthed about the cause of the death, BJP’s Howrah rural president Anupam Mullick claimed that Doloi who was a party supporter was strangulated by Trinamool Congress workers for chanting “Jai Shri Ram”.
Moreover, the BJP had observed a ‘black day’ in the state and called for a 12-hour general strike in the Basirhat sub-division on Monday in the aftermath of the face-off which ensued between the BJP and West Bengal Police in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district over the weekend which claimed the lives of five BJP workers.
Speaking to news agency ANI about the deaths of the BJP workers in West Bengal, Union Minister Babul Supriyo claimed that Mamata Banerjee was responsible for the violence and she was using her party workers and police for the job.
His statement came in the wake of the BJP workers reportedly being prevented by the police from holding the funeral of its workers, killed in political clashes on Saturday, on a highway near Kolkata.
BJP leader Mukul Roy alleged that all the incidents of violence in the state are being carried out at the behest of TMC Supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with the support of the administration.
The BJP also alleged that the communal disharmony is linked with “illegal Rohingyas in West Bengal” and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter.
Moreover, taking note of the unfaltering political violence in Bengal, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sent an advisory to the West Bengal government and asked the Mamata Banerjee-led government to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquillity.
However, the TMC reacted strongly to the advisory saying it is nothing but a “political conspiracy”. Mamata recently lambasted at the BJP saying that she won’t allow the state to become another Gujarat, while the BJP countered saying she was behaving like a dictator.
The political tussle between the BJP and TMC has become bloodier after BJP won a remarkable 18 seats in the Lok Sabha polls. TMC which is probably finding it difficult to hold on to their reign has been unleashing its terror on the BJP workers and supporters converting West Bengal into a battle zone.
On Monday night, a mob of nearly 200 people attacked doctors and interns at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata after the death of Mohammed Sayeed. While doctors claim that he was 85 years old and died due to natural causes, his family members think otherwise.
Matters escalated after family members assaulted the doctors and soon, the hospital premises had turned into a battlefield. Many were thrashed and one intern suffered severe injuries and continues to be in a critical condition. The critically injured doctor has been identified as Paribaha Mukherjee.
Meanwhile, the junior doctors at NRS Hospital are continuing with their protests over the matter. Normal services haven’t resumed yet. Their demands remain simple, ensure the security of doctors at Hospitals and punish the guilty. Junior doctors at other hospitals in the state have joined the protest too in solidarity with the doctors and interns at NRS. Services have been disrupted at various institutions.
The demands for resumption of duties include a visit to the injured junior doctor’s family by the Chief Minister herself and a meeting with the representatives from all medical colleges to ensure that these incidents are not repeated in the future. The protesting students also demand that apart from providing them with documentary evidence regarding details of action against the perpetrators on Monday night, an inquiry be also conducted against the inaction of the Police when the mob was attacking the doctors.
The Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) at AIIMS, too, has issued a statement over the matter. The statement said, “We are grieved and enraged at the exasperating indifference of the West Bengal state health ministry and the Kolkata Police who have failed in providing the slightest of protection to on-duty doctors.” Demanding the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, it also requested doctors to suspend routine activities and join the protest. Numerous other associations have issued similar statements.
Another attack was reported at the Burdwan Medical College late night on Tuesday. One junior doctor, Aniruddha Hazra, is said to have been injured as a result. According to posts on social media by members of the fraternity, the Police once again was said to be mute spectators as the mob resorted to stone pelting.
There is growing angst against the state government for its utter failure to maintain law and order. Calls are being made for the Health Minister to step down from her position, Mamata Banerjee is receiving great criticism as well.
One junior doctor at a hospital in Kolkata told OpIndia.com, “The state government is responsible for the series of events that have transpired. Firstly, they failed to provide adequate safety and security to doctors. And secondly, they have been unofficially patronizing these antisocial elements who can call up two trucks full of their people to attack those who are doing their duty.”
It appears to be a general sentiment as evidenced by the flurry of posts on social media on the matter. A lot of people are convinced that the Kolkata Police failed to take appropriate measures due to political considerations. Another post that has gone viral on social media is that of an alleged instigator of the violence against the doctors. From his posts, it appears that he is a Pakistan lover. That has prompted many apolitical people to assume that there were political considerations involved when the Police allegedly did not act against the mob.
A resident doctor from Kolkata present at the protest at NRS told us, “Medical colleges from across Kolkata have joined the protest. Everyone, the students and senior doctors, is convinced that mob violence cannot go unpunished any longer. There have to be consequences for assaulting doctors.”
Meanwhile, the events could have grave political implications for Mamata Banerjee as well. On Tuesday, the day after the vicious attack, the Chief Minister of West Bengal was busy inaugurating Vidyasagar’s bust at College Street. It has been interpreted by the fraternity as sheer apathy towards their plight. We were told, “She was busy with Vidyasagar’s statue while we were protesting. It’s infuriating, really. There is complete indifference to the situation and we are being given only halfhearted assurances.”
There has been a spate of attack on doctors by family members of deceased patients in recent times. Therefore, there is genuine anguish among the fraternity across the country. A junior doctor from the North East told us, “These kind of incidents are happening far too frequently now. People in the community should understand that doctors cannot save everyone and they have no right to beat them up in case the patient dies.”
In light of the disruption of services, patients are suffering as a consequence of the abject abdication of responsibility by the state government. Relatives of patients are not able to meet their wards and are uninformed about their well-being. They are also tensed that their wards are not being taken care of at the institutions. If the state government does not step in and help alleviate the escalating situation by assuaging the concerns of the doctors, things could very well deteriorate even further.
In a shocking incident in Assam, girls in dance troop invited to perform at an Eid celebration were forced to strip and dance naked by rowdy spectators, although they managed to escape. The Eid celebration was organised by one Kuddus Ali and after the incident, the Rainbow dance group’s director Arup D Rabha filed an FIR with Boko police station regarding the incident, where he has named Kuddus Ali, Sayed Khan, Atikul Islam, Samajuddin, Jeherul Islam and Abbas Ali, along with all the members of the organising committee of the event as the accused in the case.
The crime and the humiliation heaped on the dance crew was carried out at an Eid function by Muslim men, however, a journalist from The Hindu deemed it fit to blame ‘Hindutva culture’ for the crime.
The Twitter profile of Neena Vyas, though not verified, is being followed by several journalists. Among those who follow are Prashant Jha of the Hindustan Times, journalists from NewsX, Quint, The Hindu etc and several others.
Tweet by Neena Vyas
Neena Vyas who is a journalist with The Hindu quoted the Indian Express article that detailed the crime and said, “Another terrible episode. One more example of HINDUTVA culture? Mob tries to force woman dancers to strip at a cultural event in Assam, 2 held”.
Interestingly, the Indian Express article she quoted mentions the names of the accused making it amply clear that the crime was perpetrated by Muslim men and not Hindu men, let alone men who apparently followed the ‘Hindutva culture’.
The Indian Express report reads:
“The two men, Shahrukh Khan and Subahan Khan, were arrested on Sunday after a case was filed on basis of a complaint registered by the cultural troupe against the organisers of the programme, which was held at a village under Chaygaon Police Station limits”.
When this fact was pointed out to her, Neena Vyas responded to it by saying that she was glad that the men had been arrested and that it was “shameful that tribal women any woman treated this way by anyone Hindu or Muslim”.
Neena Vyas tweet
It was rather interesting to notice that Neena Vyas blamed ‘Hindutva Culture’ when she had not read the report and as soon as it was pointed out that the perpetrators were Muslims, she changed her tune to mention that ‘any woman should not be treated this way by Hindus or Muslims”.
If her first tweet was a template, one could not find any mention of “Islamic culture” in her follow up tweet.
While the Indian Express article did not mention that the function was an Eid festival, by the names of the accused it would have been amply clear that the perpetrators were Muslims. Either Neena Vyas did not bother to read the article and jumped to blame ‘Hindutva Culture’ as a force of habit and a manifestation of her deep-seated Hinduphobia, or she assumed that she would not be countered with facts.
The Hindu itself had displayed its anti-Hindu stand recently when it had gone hammer and tongs against Akshaya Patra, the organisation that provides free meals to thousands of children across the country.
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne brāhmaṇe gavi hastini śuni caiva śva-pāke ca paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see a learned brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater with equal vision.
–Bhagavad Gita 5.18
A woman embracing a garlanded cow
Just as some human relations are classified as near and dear, animals too have a hierarchy in the eyes of humans based on their relative utility. For example, the cow and bull were extremely useful and were the backbone of a pre-modern agrarian society; they were accorded the highest importance in our society to the extent that killing of cow is seen as sin. Against such a background, one wonders how the cow that was subject to reverence and worship since times unknown has now become a slaughter-able animal. Any argument or sentiment against such slaughter is painted as a communalism.
It has long been argued by the so-called liberals that cow is like any animal fit for human consumption and treating it as mother is mere superstition. While from a biology point of view it may not make a difference, they conveniently ignore the fact that our entire agrarian economy was once powered by the cow family- with cows giving milk and the bulls tilling the soil. It is only in a country like India, one finds expressions like Ksheera Sagara (ocean of milk), Dadhi Sagara, Navaneeta loka (world of butter) etc., referring to the abundance of milk and milk products that the country has been able to produce since times unknown. Desert hordes can only dream of flowing streams of water even in their highest heavens. Cow is intertwined with our lore and tradition. It is but a matter of common sense that an animal of such an importance should not be killed.
In contrast, the dog has never occupied a great place in Indian society. The relative importance of dogs to our society is very minimal. Also, it is seen as an unclean animal. In its natural habitat, dogs eat their own excreta and vomit while cows don’t. The canine is only worshiped in its terrible form as Kalabhairava, an aspect of Shiva. This is attributable to the overarching Vedantic philosophy that propounds no one is unworthy of worship as God is in all- is all.
New studies indicate that cows and farm animals are far more intelligent than popularly perceived. Research found that dairy cows could follow sound through a maze in order to find food, suggesting heightened executive function and decision-making abilities. The cows that were studied also showed remarkable emotional sensitivity and were deeply affected by emotional and physical pain of early separation from their mothers and dehorning, which changed the brain in a way that led to a negative cognitive bias akin to pessimism.
Beef curry served with lime and curry leaves.
Empirical evidence shows that domesticated cows develop deep attachment to their owners, often displaying signs of distress including a serious drop in appetite when their masters are away for long periods. The loyalty aspect that the modern society attributes to dogs has been denied to cows for the simple reason that it will be morally wrong to kill something that is as loyal and loving.
Our traditional experience has been denied and our sentiments of treating cows as family members has been rubbished by a culture that hardly understands sustainable farming and cattle rearing. Some hundred years ago, it would be almost impossible to find a household without domesticated cows. Now that is not just a reality but we have banished our cows to the mercy of cruel dairy farms and slaughter houses.
Draught power of Ongole bulls on display in a competition. Draught animals help sustainable agriculture
In return, we have taken the animal of our oppressors, the canines that they imported from Europe. In many native cultures, the dog is seen as offensive animal. When George Foreman, arrived in Zaire to fight Mohammad Ali at the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight, the locals were deeply offended by the German Shepherd that he brought along with him. The German Shepherd reminded them of the Dutch who used their dogs to hound the locals. The animal doesn’t fare well even in common idiom of India. The famous Sumati Satakam (anthology of 100 poems) in Telugu talks about a dog’s character of going back to its old ways even when it is crowned on throne in the following poem.
Kanakapu simhasanamuna
Sunakamu goorchundabetti subhalagnamunan
Vonaraga battamu gattina
Venukati gunamela maanu vinaraa sumathee!
A woman embracing a pet dog
Times have changed, we have been brainwashed, insulted, coaxed in to believing that cows are just meant to be eaten. The households that once had at least one cow and that would not wait for an opportunity to buy or donate a cow are now ridden with animals like dogs and cats.
In the wake of proper implementation of illegal slaughterhouse ban in the UP, the prices of other meats have reportedly gone up making it difficult for poor people to access necessary protein. While long term measures to provide cheap nutrient rich food for the masses need to be taken care, the Govt. must consider introducing new meats into the market that are cheap, nutritious and are readily available.
Those who fiercely argue that cows cannot be mothers of human beings are probably right. Just add to it that if cows are not mothers of humans then neither are dogs friends to humans; therefore fit of human consumption. Stray dogs are widely and readily available and can be slaughtered without additional investments in slaughterhouses. In addition, research in to dog breeding for human consumption as an industry must be conducted to identify the best and the most productive breeds.
As Justice Markandey Katju argues, it is just a superstition to treat any animal as a relative/friend of human beings. We should explore all possible animals that can be consumed by humans. A quick look at this Wikipedia page gives an idea of the cultures that traditionally eat or have recently acquired taste for dog meat. In some parts of India and many part of the world dog meat is a delicacy.
Dog meat in Hanoi, Vietnam
About 25 million dogs are killed each year for human consumption. A simple back of the envelope calculation suggests that breeding dogs for human consumption will lead to lesser carbon emissions as compared to rearing cattle for meat. Scientific studies in this matter must be conducted to either confirm or reject this observation.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) of dog meat
Energy
262 kcal
Thiamine (B1)
-0.1
Minerals
270 mg
Carbohydrates
0.1 g
0.12 mg
Calcium
-0.01
Sodium
-0.05
Dietary fiber
0 g
Riboflavin (B2)
-0.15
8 mg
72 mg
Fat
20.2 g
0.18 mg
Iron
-0.22
Other constituents
Protein
19 g
Niacin (B3)
-0.13
2.8 mg
Water
60.1 g
Vitamins
1.9 mg
Phosphorus
-0.24
Cholesterol
44.4 mg
Vitamin A equiv.
0
Vitamin C
-0.04
168 mg
Ash
0.8 g
3.6 μg
3 mg
Potassium
-0.06
270 mg
Dog meat might sound outlandish. However, it is only a matter of developing a taste for it. If not, how come beef becomes a delicacy which is served in restaurants across India while it was a taboo a few decades ago? Moreover, from the sloka stated above it is clear that dog meat is the staple food of underprivileged classes of our society. Those who claim to be working for the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of society must actively promote dog meat which has for centuries served as their everyday food.
In addition, the sheer number of dog breeds at our disposal allows for rich culinary variety. Unlike farm animals, dogs can be bred in-house like garden cucumber allowing the possibility of having unadulterated non-industrial meat. If dogs are to be avoided for religious reasons by certain communities, alternative sources of protein for such communities should be explored. While camel meat may be impractical, cat meat is not impossible; certain insects are certainly nutritious and sustainable, as per new research.
Protein found in insects
Progressive and scientific minded individuals must counter the propaganda of animal rights activists and pet lovers who will jump in to the fray to protect these so called best friends of man by educating the masses about the nutritional, economic and anti-superstitious value these new meats have and promote diversity of consumable proteins.
All discourses demeaning the livelihood and culture of those minorities in India and outside India that have survived on dog and other non-conventional meats for centuries must end once for all and they should accorded an equal and dignified status in the society where they can proudly eat their food without fear of ridicule and social alienation from predominantly western acquired prejudices.
A post-modern society should be able to question before embracing culture reversals (from bovine-centric to canine-centric or vice-versa) with utmost scientific zeal leaving no space for superstition of any kind.
Note: This article was originally published on our user generated chapter on 1st April, 2017. You, too, can contribute to OpIndia by registering and submitting your article here.
