Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — A political storm is brewing in Nagaland, a predominantly Christian state in the northeast, over the planned cow protection march — Gau Dhwaj Yatra — scheduled for September 28, organised by hardcore Hindu groups. The event has triggered fierce opposition from various political leaders, civil society organisations, and religious groups, all concerned about potential disruption to the state’s fragile social harmony.
The controversy highlights a deeper issue within India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): its duplicitous behaviour regarding cow protection. Critics accuse the BJP of using cow-related issues selectively, enforcing strict laws in northern states such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, where Muslims and Dalits have faced violent attacks, while conveniently avoiding the subject in states like Nagaland, where beef is an integral part of local culture. This inconsistency has prompted public outrage and drawn attention to the BJP’s opportunistic politics.
Nagaland’s political leadership is largely unified in opposing the Gau Dhwaj Yatra. The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), which leads the state government in coalition with the BJP, has made it clear that the event goes against the sentiments of the majority of Nagaland’s 1.97 million people, 88% of whom are Christians.
“The march would disturb the social fabric and harmony in our state,” stated an NDPP spokesperson, referencing Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which grants Nagaland special protection over its social and religious practices. This provision, established when Nagaland became a state in 1963, safeguards the consumption of beef, which is a cultural staple in the region.
Even the BJP’s Nagaland chapter has distanced itself from the march, with BJP Nagaland President Benjamin Yepthomi stating, “Any attempt to impose regulations that contradict the religious and social practices of the Naga people is a direct infringement on the rights guaranteed to the people of Nagaland.”
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.
