MY BEEF!

Beef has been banned.  Behind the dismay at interrupted dietary habits, also lies the apprehension that this will pave the way for other incursions into minority livelihoods and lifestyles.  Freedom to eat is as important as the freedom to speak, especially in a democracy, even one that appears to be morphing into a theocratic state.

My personal encounter with beef was brief and disastrous, thanks to the tapeworm that I unwittingly hosted.  Add to that the hypertension (also inherited, this time genetically) that precludes red meat and beef has been banned from my menu from as far back as I can remember.

But there are other reasons too.  Our abattoirs are not the most hygienic or humane places.  Breeding cattle in large numbers for the table releases harmful methane.  If you have ever stepped into a tabela (that’s Indian for barn) and experienced bull fart firsthand, you’ll have no doubt about the impact.  I have our collie to thank for that memory. 

And then there are the children.  We have countless numbers of them who have never known a proper meal let alone one that counted beef among the ingredients.  Simple rice, dhal and veggies would satisfy them if only they had access to food instead of starvation.  Do we accept this as normal? Do we hear the same outrage?  Are we capable of sustaining a campaign to see no child hungry?

Perhaps we could turn the tables.  If beef is no longer eaten, then bovines should not be bred. Grazing land could be reclaimed for cultivation.  And adequate nutrition for every child should be made compulsory (apply the same penalties as for the ban on beef!) as a quid pro quo.

And for the determined beefeaters, I presume the import route would still be open (the ban is on local slaughter). Then again, are we sure that ‘mad cow’ has been completely eradicated?!