West Bengal: Beef festival called off amidst politics

The ‘beef festival’ organised by Left-backed NGOs of Kolkata has been, quite an unprecedented affair. It was called off on Monday. 

While the organisers are tight-lipped on the reason why the festival was called off, sources suggest that the festival was called off - succumbing to the pressure created by political parties. This is perhaps the first time that NGOs had raised their voice in favour of eating beef. 

The authorities at Muslim Institute on Park Street - the venue for the beef festival is believed to have cancelled the event last minute. Not giving in to the venue authorities, the organisers have up the ante against them. The organisers are all set to battle it out at the courts. 

This beef festival was organised to register their protest against several state governments banning consumption of beef. The fest was to have a list of meat delicacies including hariyali, shahi, sheek, kasturi and malai kebabs, mutton as well as beef.  

Earlier, Left unions had announced their plans of organising beef festivals across the country to protest against the law banning consumption and selling of beef in Maharashtra. 

While the festival was welcomed by Left parties of the state, Trinamool Congress termed it as an initiative to get back their ‘muslim votes’ with the run up to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation polls. 

Meanwhile, the festival received a lot of flak from the saffron brigade, who termed the festival as a violation of Hindu traditions.