Raising strong protests against the Centre’s recent notification banning the sale and purchase of cattle at animal markets for slaughter, two of the Northeastern States — Mizoram and Meghalaya — on Monday sent a strong signal to the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre that the tribal States are not in mood to accept the new rules.
While people in Mizoram capital Aizawl organised a ‘beef festival’, coinciding with the visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to review the security along the Indo-Myanmar border, the Meghalaya Assembly unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Centre’s notification.
Resolution moved by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma demanded withdrawal of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of livestock Markets) Rules, 2017as it would “impact the economy of the State and the food habit of its people”.
In Aizawl, the beef festival was organised by a social group called Zolife at Vanapa Hall, located just 200 metres from the Raj Bhavan, where the Union Home Minister held the review meeting. While Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and Mizoram Chief Minister lal Thanhawla attended the meeting, Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh only sent their representatives for the meeting.
Thousands of people braved the rain in Aizawl and took part in the beef festival. According to organisers of beef festival, they served over a quintal of cooked meat and that the response was so overwhelming that they could not serve meat to all. The festival is not about beef eating but about the peoples’ rights, they said.
“People were excited and they turned up despite incessant rain. By organising the festival, we wanted to send a message to the BJP-RSS that Mizos won’t be a party to the Centre’s plan to make India a beef-free country. We want them to not include us in their scheme of things and leave us alone,” said Remruata Varte, a member of Zolife.
This was the second protest beef party in the North-East in three days. Two exited BJP leaders of Meghalaya had organised a similar party in the State’s Garo Hills on Saturday. Even then, some 2,000 people had showed up.
In Christian-majority Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram, where beef is a staple and integral part of the cuisine, the tribals have made it amply clear that they will not accept the cattle slaughter rules. They are ventilating their ire on the social media while politicians, including that of BJP, are equally miffed.