Students stage protests seeking stern action against the organisers
Osmania University continued to simmer as students staged protests on Monday seeking stern action against those who organised the beef festival on the campus and the subsequent violence that resulted in the stabbing of a PG student and torching of a bus on Sunday midnight.
A PG student, Rama Rao, sustained knife wounds, while unidentified persons torched a private bus parked at the examination branch building in the early hours of Monday. Five students were injured and a media vehicle was set ablaze during the violence on Sunday.
The injured student told the police that he was going to ‘C' hostel around 1.30 a.m. when unidentified persons intercepted him and attacked him with a knife resulting in injuries on his left shoulder and abdomen. His friends rushed him to a private hospital in Habsiguda where he was treated and discharged in the afternoon. Four hours later, unidentified persons torched a private bus parked near the examination branch building triggering tension.
ABVP bandh
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised a bandh in all campus colleges on Monday protesting Sunday's violence. They took out a rally from library to the administrative block where they also staged a demonstration seeking action against professors and students who organised the beef festival on the campus. They accused a group of teachers of instigating Dalit students and creating differences among students for their ulterior motives. They sought an inquiry into the activities of some professors, who they alleged were being promoted by the missionaries.
Squatting at the main entrance, students raised slogans against Vice-Chancellor S. Satyanarayana for ‘granting permission' for the beef festival. The VC invited them for talks. “Who gave the permission for the festival? It hurt the sentiments of many students. Who will take responsibility for the attack on Rama Rao?” the students argued with the VC. “We respect the food habits of all but this was an effort to hurt the sentiments of others. This should not be allowed,” they said.
Suspend professors
ABVP leader Kadiyam Raju wanted the VC to suspend professors for instigating students to hold such festivals which vitiated peaceful atmosphere on the campus. He said students would intensify the agitation, if officials failed to take stringent action within 24 hours. The VC, however, clarified that permission was not given to anyone to organise the beef festival. “We will look into all the demands of the students,” he promised.
OU Inspector P. Ashok said an attempt to murder case under Section 307 of IPC was registered in connection with the attack on the PG student.
Keywords: beef festival, Osmania University attack
Manusmriti (Chapter 5 / Verse 30) says, “It is not sinful to eat meat of eatable animals, for Brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables.”
Maharishi Yagyavalkya says in Shatpath Brahmin (3/1/2/21) that, “I eat beef because it is very soft and delicious.”
Apastamb Grihsutram (1/3/10) says, “The cow should be slaughtered on the arrival of a guest, on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ of ancestors and on the occasion of a marriage.”
Rigveda (10/85/13) declares, “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered.”
Rigveda (6/17/1) states that “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse and buffalo.”
Vashistha Dharmasutra (11/34) writes, “If a Brahmin refuses to eat the meat offered to him on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ or worship, he goes to hell.”
Hinduism’s greatest propagator Swami Vivekanand said thus: “You will be surprised to know that according to ancient Hindu rites and rituals, a man cannot be a good Hindu who does not eat beef”. (The Complt Wrks of Swami)
Irrespective of our food habits, we should be generous and kind to
other creatures of God. Humans are eating animals since long long
ago when they were also animals and killing others for protection
and for feeding, as the other alternatives were not understood and
developed. It is justifiable, as it was natural at that time but
now, its totally insane and inhumane when some of us celebrate the
slaughtering of poor creatures and eating their flash, that too in
a university which is meant to inculcate the moral values along
with light of knowledge!!
Its a great shame that many of us start eating meat just to show
them more modern and evolved....are they really evolving??
yes there should be BEEF and PORK festival together if speak for freedom of choice n food fascism.. then we can see howmuch they take the food fascism to new goal. people dont object to one following their belief but forcing ur beliefs on others is pathetic. do wat u want for ur fest but within u n not hurting others sentiments.
I have a doubt whether cow’s milk is vegetarian or not. If milk is considered to be vegetarian, I am a pure hereditary vegetarian and I am really happy to remain so. Consequently, I am for the protection of not only cow but all animals and would also be happy to lend a helping hand in spreading vegetarianism, even as a cult. But I do not think that I should hang my head in shame if my forefathers had swallowed animals. My sentiments are not hurt just because the history books carry the facts pertaining to the beef eating behaviour of my ancestors, in the days of yore.
Because, they are facts. I simply do not want to follow the habits of those ancestors. That is my right. Everybody knows, even without the help of the text books, that my ancestors had once wandered around without any clothes. I do not want to emulate them now. But I seriously want the history books carry this fact also about my ancestors. I am, therefore, annoyed at the way the Hindu religious fanatics work over time in the Osmania University, Indian Council of Historical Research and other places to bury the facts.
your argument is selfish and hypocritical, Rahul, for you very well know that it is because of the milk and milk-products that we Hindus believe cow is sacred, conveniently closing our eyes to the fact that the nature has produced that milk for her calves and by robbing them of their rightful share we prove ourselves most immoral thugs! if you wish people should not eat meat for it is cruel, you should also stop using milk or its products for that too is cruel. and as Patrawala has rightly pointed out, it is cruel to eat vegetables too. now it is up to you to think about how to survive till some scientist make for you the food that is completely non-violently procured.
Organising this type of festival is a provocating act and must be opposed by all manner. The authority who were involve to organised this festival are pro pakistani and entitled to get propar punishment. We the people not see who eat what, it may ones personal liking but organising b*** festival is like chalenging sentiment of Hindu community. Apart from this the organiser were trying to separate weeker section people from Hindu main stream adopting this type of anty national activity. Indian authority must keep propar vigil of of the activityes of this type organisation. P.C.Hira
So basically the organizers of a Beef Festival in a university campus in India had no premonition of the kind of reaction their 'festival' would entail?
The people who organized this knew exactly what they were getting into, and there is nothing liberating in organizing anything that you know will be taken badly by a majority of the populace around you.
And the fact that dalits are used by the bleeding heart liberals and politicians to fulfill their own narrow interests is very much true and it pains me to see the dalits still fall for the lies.
@ Neha - You didn't get my point, I never asked people to practice their faith and culture in the privacy of their homes, I instead precisely talked about dietary habits to be practiced in the privacy of homes and that too when it is offensive to people of other communities. As regards the obnoxious and loud religious and cultural possessions on our roads which make any common person's life miserable, I too come out in support of you to regulate them. Your last line says "it doesn't matter what was on the menu of some poor students". Obviously, it is nobody's business to interfere in the eating habits of anyone, whether rich or poor, but my objection was only in the case the same menu is shared by other students who find that particular diet offensive. Hostel is like a home where we should live respecting each others sentiments. Finally, tolerance is the key.
@Marianne Fernandez: It is true that people should practice their faith
and cultures in the privacy of their homes. But i wonder why there are
no objections to the obnoxious and loud religious/ cultural processions
we see quite frequently on our roads. i am sure it is to the dislike of
many. but what happens to the respect owed to a common man's property
and time. it hardly matters what was on the menu of some poor students.
It is a shameful festival to celebrate in India, The sentiments of the country irrespective of the community should be respected.
There is no law against eating beef in this country. It is part of the diet of many Indians, so there is no reason it should be forbidden. If beef or any other meat offends any Indian, they are free to eat vegetables or whatever they please. Live and let live. If you don't like someone eating beef or holding a beef festival, that certainly does not give you the right to stab them - protest peacefully.
@ A.KANNAN: When people in our country are so obsessed with inflation, drought,
lack of electricity, then should`nt all hindus come together and fight
those causes in common.But instead what dalits are doing are instigating communal violence just because dalits got admission in the same university as other hindus by writing the same examination,
Only inferiority complex can cause this, when now in india there no limits to the height which any person of any caste can reach, still the students of osmania university has to take telangana back to the 3rd century A.D. ABVP and BJP are fighting for free telangana, it is the BJP which if elected to power, will create Telangana, which is the common right of all dalits and upper caste hindus alike, then why create differences amongst ourselves by eating BEEF, which also hurts the sentiments if millions of dalits across south india who also dont eat beef.
Osmania university has set a bad example in the country by allowing such a festival to take place.Its ridiculous to expect that openly eating beef will not incite anger in a country where more than 85% population believes in Hinduism.In fact its an irony that some leftist professors are using Dalit students as scapegoats to vent out their own frustration.Even after 65 years of independence Dalits are being used by so called intellectual and liberated upper class to advance their own agenda of dividing the society on the basis of caste, religion and off late food habits.Its an open secret that every party uses dalits.In this case the professors of Osmania University knew fully well that Dalit students come from weak family backgrounds, they are innocent and can be easily manipulated.Its high time and such incidents will only create divisions in society.The Constitution of India under Directive Principle has laid stress on prohibiting slaughter of cow and other bovine and drought animal.
If conducting Ganesh Navarathree poojas in campus is a right then students have right to conduct Beef festival too. When there is no objection on Ganesh Poojas, why there should be objection to Beef Festival? It is better no permission to be given if there is any objection on conducting any festival. only such festivals should be conducted which have no objection.
One can not blame others on their food habits. Let any one can eat beef. Why should others react?
Marianne Fernandez I like your succinct reply. In India we ought to respect the sentiments of others too. Conducting Beef festival in campus is mischevious and unnecessary.
The west is trying to go vegetarian having fully understood the
utility of all the animals and we r trying to justify our otherwise
tendencies.
Pity is that a country which is regarded by the rest of the world as a nation where non-violence is preached and observed by Gautham Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi is gradually losing its identity with the kind of acts like organising beef festivals in university campuses.Organisations like Blue Cross and others who fight for animal protection should jump into action and counsel those who resort to killing of animals to celebrate their festivals.
@ A. Kannan - People from any background, be it rural or agricultural or whatever have every right to eat whatever they want, and they actually do so but in privacy of their homes. One must appreciate the fact that ours is a multicultural country where the most important thing is to respect the sentiments of other communities in order to avoid any altercations. People in our democracy have every right to preserve their own culture but not at the cost of trampling others'. Such public displays of dietary festivals are not healthy for the secular fabric of our country.
The following notes would come as a rude awakening for the Hindutva crowd that uses 'ancient traditions' as an excuse to deprive others of their liberty!
Rigveda says (10/85/13):, “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered.”
Rigveda says 6/17/1: “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse and buffalo.”
Swami Vivekananda said: “You will be surprised to know that according to ancient Hindu rites and rituals, a man cannot be a good Hindu who does not eat beef” (The Complete Works of Swami Vivekanand, vol.3, p. 536).
In the Satapatha Brahmana (11.4.2) it is suggested that a fat bull or fat goat should be sacrificed in honour of an important guest. ,
In Panchavinsha Brahmana (XXXI.14.5), the rishi Agastya is credited with the slaughter of a hundred bulls.
So much for 'ancient traditions'!
Cow, religiously raised to the status of a “mother”, has been an animal that could be exploited for political gains, in modern India, by the religious fundamental groups that stand bankrupt without any political agenda to take forward the country in progressive thoughts and scientific outlook. Then, what one could expect from its intellectual wings in the educational institutions? Not more than its agitating attitude representing the communal views of their political mentors!!!
Decisions on how to utilize an animal (be it cow or buffalo) and its products is concern that should be left to the class that engages itself in labourious tasks of feeding, protecting and cleaning that animal. Students who are from such rural and agricultural background, having entered into top universities, colleges and other educational institutes, have full constitutional rights to organize any food festival that unite them culturally in order to preserve what they feel as worthy of their life and future.
Respecting cow is a part of our socio-cultural heritage as cow was and is the backbone of our rural economy. The fathers of our constitution expressed the desired to protect the cow stock because they saw this. There are multiple nutritional options available whether you choose to be vegetarian or non-vegetarian. If you still want to eat beef knowing full well that your are going to hurt sentiments of multiple people the please note that you are legally allowed. But if you expect to be appreciated for it as a grand academic, rebellious gesture then it is sick. I request the media to not promote people who want to divide society. The beef festival seems to be a deliberate attempt to create divisions in the society by people with vested interests.
Indian Scientist Sir Dr. Jagadish Chandra Bose (Nov. 30, 1858 – Nov. 23, 1937) was a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist and was a writer - He was first to invent the Crescograph an electrical instrument that could measure the growth of a plant. He was first to prove and showed the world that experimentally plants too have life can "feel pain, understand affection etc." To record the pulse of plants he connected it to a plant. The plant, with its roots, was carefully picked up and dipped up to its stem in a vessel containing bromide, a poison. The plant's pulse beat, which the instrument recorded as a steady to-and-fro movement like the pendulum of a clock, began to grow unsteady. Soon, the spot vibrated violently and then came to a sudden stop. The plant had died because of poison. They do scream when a scythe pierce their bodies like animals when the throat is cut. The sound of scream is so subtle that we human beings ignore it for our food and criticise others for their food habits. Really this is food fascism.
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