SHILLONG: Metbah Lyngdoh, president of the United Democratic Party (UDP), urged the cow vigilantes who are to hold a rally in Shillong to respect the religious beliefs and practices of the indigenous people of Meghalaya.
The rally scheduled on October 2 is under the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra movement which promotes cow protection and wants an all-inclusive ban on cow slaughter throughout the country.
Lyngdoh expressed fears that the rally might bring trouble to the state and appealed to the organizers to be extremely cautious and mindful of its fallout over diverse communities of the state.
Though reports suggest that the district administration is yet to confirm whether the vigilante group sought and obtained all the permissions necessary to hold this event in Shillong.
The Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra movement is one that fights for the cow to be made the "Rashtra Mata" or National Mother, thus bringing forward questions of religious freedom and sensitivity in the culture.
The Meghalaya Cabinet Minister Comingone Ymbon had opposed the call issued all over the country to have a blanket ban on cow slaughter. "No individual or group should dictate to the residents of the state what to eat or otherwise," he had said.
Ymbon, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs, said the secularism of India ensures freedom to choose what to eat.
He asserted beef formed a major constituent of diet in Meghalaya, particularly in the predominantly Christian state.
Ban on cow slaughter: The minister also reminded the economics of the issue would be adversely affected by the ban on cow slaughter, mainly to the breeders of cows, who may lose their livelihood through the trade.
It may be recalled that the Government of Meghalaya and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have made a giant stride in the health, nutrition, and agriculture sector of today through the signing of an MoU that would improve population health outcomes in the state, especially in regard to maternal and newborn health, family planning, nursing education, agriculture, and livestock development.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will form a partnership with Meghalaya, making it the third state after Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
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