Why is our beef targeted by Modi, ask students

Hyderabad Dalit bodies are looking at the Beef ban by Maharashtra Government, the five year jail term along with the penalties as a challenge to revive the Manu Smriti by the RSS driven NDA Government in order to inflict its Hindutva cult.

Evoking strong protests from EFLU (English and Foreign Languages University), Central and Osmania Universities of Hyderabad students, the ban resulted in a ‘Beef Festival’ organized as indication of protest on Wednesday. The protests continued on Thursday with people witnessing the sloganeering, poster wars and rallies held at the University library.

At the Gachiboowli UOH campus, around 200 students gathered led by the representatives of Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) of UoH shouting slogans of protest against the law for prohibiting consumption or selling of the red meat in Maharashtra.

Massive Buffet Tables were arranged at the campus of UoH, EFLU and Osmania with curd chutney, avakai and pots of Beef Biryani known popularly as Kalyani Biryani; it was served again and again for the hungry students and activists.

Marking it as a protest against the attempts of the RSS driven NDA Government to impose its Hindutva cults and the Manu culture, the student bodies expressed their freedom to eat food of their choice leaving the authorities of both the Universities, EFLU along with the spectators speechless.

A Documentary titled ‘Caste on the Menu’ was screened prior to the Beef Festival that saw hundreds of students, research scholars of Osmania University and the EFLU in attendance. Claiming that it was a suppression of the food culture by the "fascist forces" of India, the protestors even distributed packets of Biryani and chilli beef among the students of the University.

The students stated that as beef consumption is common among Muslims and Dalits in India and asked whether the move from the Government was to suppress their traditional food habits. Ramakrishna Patil, student leader of UOH said that it is a mode of discrimination against the already marginalized communities while Muhammed Ashraf, another student leader said the livelihood of communities will be hit for those whose economy is associated with leather and meat.

Earlier in April 2012, the Beef Festival on the OU Campus turned brutal with a student getting stabbed while some students ended getting injured in stone pelting. Police arrested 10 students and five vehicles along with a media van were burnt in the incident. Some Dalit students in October 2011, attempted to organize a beef festival on the campus of EFLU which also led to violent incidents as ABVP activists stormed into the festival and attacked the organizers in addition to destroying the food.

40 % of Hyderabad population besides the SC/ST and BC communities, Muslim and Christian minorities eats beef as a part of daily menu. Hyderabadi joints are famous for sherwas, pather-ka-gosht, beef -kebabs and other meat delicacies served with desert and main menu at most of wedding and religious events particularly in Telangana.