March 11, 2015
Derek O’Brien raises the issue of beef ban in Maharashtra | Transcript
Full transcript:
Sir, let us not look at this issue from a religious point of view. The issue is about banning the poor man’s protein in Maharashtra. That is what it is called, the poor man’s protein, let me give you the four letter word it is BEEF.
Poor man’s protein why? Besides minorities there are a lot of other people like the Dalits. A lot of people from the North East and from across the country, they eat this meat.
Let us look at the economic and other issues about this, the price of other such meats like fish, mutton and chicken will go up, once you have issued a ban on one meat.
My second point is it is going to affect the farmers. Farmers in Maharashtra have 55% shortage of fodder. By doing this, the sick and old animals will not be slaughtered and farmers will be under a lot of pressure.
The third people, who will be affected, will be the people who are in the business, the traders and butchers.
We are a great democracy, if you go to Dubai or Bahrain, where a certain meat is not allowed, you can still go into the room and buy the meat. Here in Maharashtra the fine for sexual harassment case is less than eating a particular meat.
It is in my liberty, I am in the privacy of my home, what I am allowed to do I do. I am married to a Hindu; I do not eat beef at home that is my choice. Please let us not remove this diversity; I respect anyone else who wants to eat vegetable, fish, chicken, mutton, garlic, that is perfectly okay Sir. It is out right, but you do not need to change the Constitution to change the fabrication of this country.
By doing this you are changing the fabrication of the nation. Anybody can do what they want in the privacy of their home, but how can you tell me to eat a particular meat?
I urge this House to not look at this through a religious connotation. This is a bigger issue. Let this great country have its diversity.
Thank You.
