• A Pew study finds that 72% of Hindus in India view beef consumption as disqualifying for Hindu identity, outweighing the importance of belief in God or temple attendance.
• Anti-Muslim sentiment and online Hindutva radicalisation have fuelled a rise in violent cow vigilantism in India, with attacks targeting Muslims.
A study conducted by Pew Research Centre from November 17, 2019, to March 23, 2020, reveals that a significant majority of Hindus in India view the consumption of beef as disqualifying for Hindu identity, while fewer believe that a lack of belief in God or attendance at temple services has the same effect.
49% of Hindu adults assert that not believing in God excludes one from Hinduism, compared to 72% who believe that eating beef does. Additionally, Hindus in India indicate that not attending the mandir (temple) is perceived as less disqualifying (48%) than beef consumption.
This indicates that the connection to Hindu deities or any form of spirituality is perceived as less vital than ritual practices in the Hindu identity today.
The Surge of Cow Vigilantism Continues in India
This relentless focus on avoiding beef consumption for everyone in India (irrespective of faith), coupled with vile, widespread anti-Muslim sentiment and Hindu supremacism, has contributed to a shocking rise in the lynching of numerous Muslims in India.
It is reported that some of the killings taking place have been due to mere conjecture or hearsay regarding Muslims transporting beef. Many new Hindutva mobs are being formed in Northern India, who have, in turn, embodied the anti-Muslim rhetoric of the ruling BJP party.
Police have been given the authority to make an arrest of anyone handling beef, without possessing a warrant. This may be attributed to the reason 200 vigilante militias reportedly operate on roads and highways late at night in the Delhi region. They have been patrolling roads that lead to Muslim villages and in search of trucks that may be ‘smuggling’ cows across state borders that lead to Muslim villages.
In 2019 New York-based ‘Human Rights Watch’ analysed the statistics of Hindu nationalist cow vigilantism in India. The 104-page report revealed that tragically, 44 Muslims had been killed, and 280 Muslims had been severely injured in more than 100 attacks between May 2015 and December 2018.
Online Hindutva Radicalisation Remains Unaddressed
Radical extremist Upananda Brahmachari, editor of the website hinduexistence.org, continues to propagate his violent and oppressive Hindutva ideology.
A segment of his site features a grotesque illustration of the Indian ruler Shivaji Maharaj from the Bhonsle era, depicting him severing the hand of a Muslim man who was about to slaughter a cow. The caption accompanying this image states:
“Young Shivaji Maharaj saves Gaumata from Mulla Butchers… Traditional Hindu Picture.”
This incitement to anti-Muslim violence fuells cow vigilantes to perpetrate acts of terror against minorities in India, preventing them from practicing their faith freely. Such rhetoric serves to drive these communities from their homeland.
Interestingly, historians argue that during the era of the Rig Veda (the oldest Hindu sacred text dating to around 1500 B.C), consumption of cow meat was practiced by Hindus. Similar to other pastoral societies, Vedic Indians typically consumed castrated steers, reserving females for ceremonial occasions such as rituals or the reception of esteemed guests.
Islam in India
The initial significant Islamic expansion into India occurred under the Umayyad Dynasty of caliphs, headquartered in Damascus. In 711, the Umayyads designated Muhammad bin Qasim, a 17-year-old from Ta’if, to extend their authority into India (modern day Indo-Pak region).
Islam proliferated in coastal Indian urban centres through both migration and conversion.
Islam has long been interwoven into the fabric of Indian society, from its Mughal reign to the enduring beauty of its architecture cherished today.
Despite India’s ludicrous claim to be a democratic nation today, it frequently curtails the rights of Indian Muslims to freely practice their faith. We consistently observe incidents of cow vigilantism, mosque demolitions, lynching, violent assaults targeting Muslims, systematic exclusion from employment opportunities, minority human rights being violated, and the free speech of Muslims being suppressed.
