Kerala: In an attempt to protest against Central government rule of banning slaughter, students at IIT-Madras held a beef festival inside the college campus. The protest on Sunday witnessed 70-80 students. “It was a spontaneous gesture from many people in campus who opposed the notification and not held under any banner,” said one of the students.
“It is a democratic right of ours to have a choice of food,” said Abhinav Surya, a final year student.
Protest comes amid a raging nationwide debate over consumption of beef. States such as Kerala where beef is a part of the daily diet have said they will defy the Centre’s rule on cow slaughter and many have blamed the BJP of trying to infringe on personal rights and food habits. Similar beef fests in Kerala landed in controversy after a calf was slaughtered in public.
“There was no planning or anything. The idea was tossed around afternoon, and we asked all students to felt about the ban on cow slaughter to participate in the protest,” Abhinav added.
IIT authorities haven’t taken any action against the students. “There have been condemnations of our protest by some right-wing student body representatives. Some facebook posts have have derided us and our freedom to choose what we eat,” he said.