On the night of 28th September 2015, 18 people gathered outside the home of Muhammed Akhhlaq in the Bisara village of Dadri in Uttar Pradesh. As a response to the announcement of the local temple that a cow was slaughtered, they attacked Akhlaq and his son. While his son survived, Akhlaq succumbed to his injuries.
The lynching of Muhammed Akhlaq in Dadri has been etched into India’s consciousness as it marked the growing intensity of hate violence against Muslims in India, especially since 2014. Sadly, it did not stop after the brutal murder of Muhammed Akhlaq. The weaponisation of food has been a constant narrative in Hindutva politics, leading to the isolation of the Muslim community and the death of many of its members. While the cow became the political symbol of the ruling party, it was the symbol of fear to the Muslims of the country. The systemic attempt to homogenise India’s culinary practices is a fascist effort – one that is imposed through force and propagated through fear.
Sacredness of the cow and vegetarianism
The central themes that can be analysed behind this cultural fascism are the veneration of the cow and the glorification of vegetarianism. Both aspects are hailed as the tenets of the dharmic structures, which are “essential” to India. However, many scholars have rejected the idea that the sacredness of the cow and the vegetarianism associated with it was critical to the ‘Indian’ traditions. James Staples states, ‘Beef consumption is presented as a historically validated Hindu practice, referenced, for example, in the Rig Veda as suitable for everyday consumption and sacrifices.’
This story was originally published in feminisminindia.com. Read the full story here .