Beef is a nutritional superior food, with beef liver scoring even higher. For a child, a meal with a beef in it is a treat. For a mother, it's a child who has eaten a full meal. For a nutritionist, it is a nutritionally dense meal. For a doctor, it means better immunity, lesser malnutrition, fewer infections and lesser mortality. For the BJP, it is nothing more than vote bank politics. For the vapid elite of the state, it is nothing more than an armchair discussion. Elite 'vegetarians' can tut tut over their palak paneers and curd rice while bemoaning how people should 'respect the law'. What is a law if it is criminalises people's nutritional rights and paves the way for unscrupulous lynch mobs to target some of the most vulnerable communities? Does social fabric , justice, fraternity, equality matter in Karnataka or do 'rights' vary based on one's class, caste and religion?
Dr Sylvia Karpagam, 'The Karnataka anti-cow slaughter bill is against the poor', Round Table India