Let's talk about the beef ban

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Pending for 19 years, the Maharashtra Animal Preservation
Bill, 1995 was passed during the Shiv Sena-BJP
regime and became a reality when the president
gave his assent on the 2nd of March this year. Red
meat lovers of the state will just have to do without
beef from that very day.
“Thanks a lot honourable President Sir for the
assent on the Bill. Our dream to ban cow slaughter
becomes a reality now,” chief minister Devendra
Fadnavis exclaimed on Twitter.

At the entrace of the new ruling body of the government,
many changes have been felt in a matter of months.

Good? Bad? People are only left to their opinions.

Towards the end of the month of Ramadan, I took a

two-day opportunity to walk around the city and look for some

of these ‘opinions’, hoping to bring a new understanding

to some of the bill’s effects on people like you and me.

Sahil Makhija, a very well known musician in the Rock Music scene
of the country, and a popular chef of the youtube show- Headbangers
Kitchen, voices his opinion quite boldly.

“I think the meat ban is completely unconstitutional and violates the
basic fundamental rights of the citizens of this state. It has a very
adverse effect on the working class of people by rendering them jobless.
It also badly effects farmers who are already committing suicide
and struggling very hard. It's an old outdated bill that has come
to light very recently and should immediately be scrapped.”
- Sahil Makhija

“I don’t know, I can’t see the difference between
then and now, I’m a vegetarian and so is my
husband and our kids”

“Haha, it’s all bullsh*t, all the bans. They’re
ridiculous! I mean there are other more dire
issues to look at. My wife doesn’t consume
beef but I do (did) and she never had a
problem with me for it! *laughs* now why
does the government have to come in
between?”

“All my friends went to Karnataka to celebrate
Eid this year, it feels very different for
me. I wanted to be here with my kids. It is
also costing me more money this year
because goat is expensive an
have a big family to feed”

“If it is the question of respecting religious
sensitivities, why don't we ban pork and
alcohol, seeing how most Muslims do not
touch either because of their religious beliefs.
Everyone's religious sensitivities should be
respected equally, he adds.
99% of things, you wont be able to eat in this
country, because some religion or the other is
against it.”
-Arnab Goswami

Below, women waiting for their families on the eve of Ramzan Id.

“I’m seeing a change in this neighborhood
this time, it’s more quiet. It feels very different”

Paul, a frequent visitor of Mumbai, has his own
views on the food culture. He says, “India is like my

second home, I come here often for business related

work. I have gotten used to Indian food, but *laughs*

it is still too spicy for me” he says and added “Well it
would be ridiculous if I couldn’t eat beef or meat in
my country (UK), but here, it makes sense, it’s a
cultural thing so I guess it’s okay”

Sohail squints his eyes at the mention of
‘beef’ and exclaimed that ‘Mutton
Rogan Josh’ has always been his favourite
dish.
In all excitement to be photographed,
and the excitement of Eid around the
corner, he turns the heads of his goats
towards the camera and yells out
“madam, this, this is Twenty two thousand
rupees each, this, this, is centre of
attention tomorrow!”

The effects of the ban are endless.
What about animals?
Captive carnivores like lions and tigers are now being fed chicken in
Mumbai's national park.

Dr Sanjiv Pinjarkar, veterinarian officer at the Sanjay Gandhi
National Park, regarding the change in diet of the carnivores, says
"The main difference is that the fat percentage is less in chicken,
and it's a lean diet, but as animals tend to get lesser exercise in the
park, it is not actually a bad thing for them. The inconvenience is
not very light, so once the strike ends, things may get better for
these animals."