India’s ‘vegetarian nationalism’: Hindu fundamentalists target meat eaters

Across India, measures targeting meat consumption have amplified since Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected in 2014, from the closure of meat shops to increasing the jail term for cow slaughtering. Hindu extremists are leading this wave of “vegetarian nationalism”. Butchers in the state of Haryana, who are predominantly Muslim, have been forced to close their shops every Tuesday, while “cow protectors” stop and search vehicles they suspect of transporting the animals – actions that can turn deadly. According to a 2019 Human Rights Watch report, at least 44 people have been killed by “cow protectors” in India since 2015. Thirty-six of them were Muslims. Our correspondents report.