ASIA/INDIA - Cardinal Alencherry: "India has to deal with serious issues, not the consumption of beef"

Kochi (Agenzia Fides) - "India has more serious problems to deal with, rather than waste time arguing about people’s eating habits": said Cardinal George Alencherry, head of the Syro-Malabar Church in India, speaking on the current debate related to the consumption of beef, banned by the Hindu religion. In recent weeks, a Muslim man was killed for this reason by Hindu extremists.
"When there is conflicting information which comes from different religious communities on these issues, society should discuss and come to an amicable agreement", he said, commenting on the incidents of intolerance occurred, linked to people’s eating habits.
The Cardinal urged not to give "sensational" importance to such matters and not to harm the social and religious harmony in India: "The controversy, which has blown out of proportion, is harmful," he recalled, hoping that "judges enforce the law and legality".
Since the cow is considered a sacred animal by Hindus, the debate on the consumption of beef is back in vogue after the state of Maharashtra banned it, approving the law that bans the slaughter, consumption and the sale of cows, bulls and steers. The Muslim community, in particular, was affected, responsible for the trade of beef.
In early October in Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, Mohammad Akhlaq, a 50-year-old farmer was stoned and killed by the crowd because he was suspected of preserving and eating beef. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 29/10/2015)

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