Methodically, researching scholars have found out that the practice of vegetarianism began spreading in India first among Buddhists, Jains and also some Hindus. But the majority of Hindus did not give up beef eating until 1500 BC.
All of India's most widely practiced religions have dietary laws and traditions. For example, Hindu texts often praise vegetarianism, and Hindus may also avoid eating beef because cows are traditionally viewed as sacred. Muslim teachings, meanwhile, prohibit pork.
On 26 October 2005, the Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgement upheld the constitutional validity of anti-cow slaughter laws enacted by various state governments of India. 20 out of 28 states in India had various laws regulating the act of slaughtered cow, prohibiting the slaughter or sale of cows.
The real vegetarians were the Jains. But to counter the so-called theory of violence of Buddhists, Shankaracharya started a vegetarian campaign among Brahmins and upper castes. It was this campaign of Shankaracharya that turned the Brahmins of south India, much before those of north India, into vegetarians.
Manusmriti (Chapter 5 / Verse 30) says, “It is not sinful to eat the meat of eatable animals, for Brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables.” Where the concern of eating beef really belongs is its effect on the human spirit and whether or not eating beef is considered sinful.
Many Buddhists interpret this to mean that you should not consume animals, as doing so would require killing. Buddhists with this interpretation usually follow a lacto-vegetarian diet. This means they consume dairy products but exclude eggs, poultry, fish, and meat from their diet.
Sikhs also generally avoid eating beef because the cow, the buffalo and the ox are an integral part of rural Sikh livelihoods. Similarly, they avoid eating pork when they are in the company of Muslims. However, there is no religious prohibition about eating beef and pork.
In the time of the oldest Hindu sacred text, the Rig Veda (c. 1500 B.C.), cow meat was consumed. Like most cattle-breeding cultures, the Vedic Indians generally ate the castrated steers, but they would eat the female of the species during rituals or when welcoming a guest or a person of high status.
The Hindu religion does not excuse accidental consumption of meat products. One who commits the religious violation of eating meat, knowingly or unknowingly, is required to participate in a religious ceremony at a site located along the Ganges River in Haridwar, Uttranchal, India, to purify himself.
But scholars have known for centuries that the ancient Indians ate beef. After the fourth century BC, vegetarianism began to gain respect in India, particularly among the Buddhists, Jains and also Hindus. But the majority of Hindus continued to the Rig Veda period (c. 1500 BC), cow meat was popularly consumed.
Anyone violating the law can be punished with imprisonment up to maximum of 6 months or fine of up to 1,000 or both. The crime is treated as acognizable offence. (Sec 4 B)
There is no state ban on beef in West Bengal, Kerala, and North-Eastern states such as Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. In most states, cow slaughtering is declared illegal; for example, in Tamil Nadu, cow slaughtering is banned by up to 3 years in jail and a Rs.
Non-vegetarian diet
Hindus who eat meat, often distinguish all other meat from beef. The respect for cow is part of Hindu belief, and most Hindus avoid meat sourced from cow as cows are treated as a motherly giving animal, considered as another member of the family.
Observant Hindus shun pork, as much as they avoid beef, alcohol or tobacco. While cows are considered sacred, pigs are generally considered unclean (as they are by Muslims and also Buddhists).
Hindus consider the cow sacred and its slaughter has long been banned in most Indian states.
The cow, a revered animal in Hinduism
It represents Mother Earth, as it is a source of goodness and its milk nourishes all creatures. Krishna, a central Hindu deity, is often portrayed in stories recounting his life as a cowherd and referring to him as the child who protects cows.
The majority of Hindus are lacto-vegetarian (avoiding meat and eggs), although some may eat lamb, chicken or fish. Beef is always avoided because the cow is considered a holy animal, but dairy products are eaten. Animal-derived fats such as lard and dripping are not permitted.
It is legal to consume buffalo meat throughout India and even some Hindus, for whom cows are sacred, eat it.
It is also a sacred animal for the majority Hindu community, and they amble unmolested in traffic-choked streets. The animal is worshipped and decorated during festivals; holy men take around cows, with their foreheads smeared in vermillion, to seek alms.
Similarly, in the Great Parinirvana Sutra, the Buddha says, “Eating meat destroys great compassion” and advises his disciples to avoid the consumption of meat “just as they would avoid the flesh of their own children.” Numerous Tibetan masters also condemn consumption of the flesh of animals.
In Bhagavad Gita (17.8-10), Lord Krishna says, "Different types of food have different influence on the behaviour and body of a Man. Meat has Tamasic property, so it increases anger, impatience and laziness in the body of a Man."
"Meat eaters can opt for buffaloes, goats, chicken and fish. Shariat doesn t allow beef-eating if it s prohibited under law," Deoband s fatwa department head Mufti Habibur Rehman said.
Mecca is regarded as the holiest city in Islam, and a pilgrimage to it (Hajj) is one of the pillars of Islam. Non-Muslims are prohibited from entering the city.
Hindus and Sikhs intermarry freely both in India and in Canada; indeed, five members of my own family are married to Sikhs. This intermingling is discouraged by many Sikh leaders as it undermines their claim of distinctness from Hinduism as well as their political cause (17 Feb. 2001).
WHY DON'T SIKHS CUT OR SHAVE THEIR HAIR? The founders of the Sikh faith started the practice of maintaining hair unshorn. Many Sikhs interpret the keeping of kesh as a sign of commitment and acceptance of God's Will.