Shillong, Sept 12: The Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR) on Thursday demanded the state government to ban the proposed ‘cow protection march’ by the Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati in Shillong on October 2.
“(We) strongly condemn the communal call given by a Hindu seer, Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati, for the cow protection march or the ‘Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra’ in Shillong on October 2,” TUR leader Angela Rangad said in a statement.
“This yatra that is calling for a nationwide ban on cow slaughter is a Hindu majoritarian communal attack on pluralist and secular culture of India and Meghalaya. Communities in Meghalaya savour all kinds of meat including beef and many indigenous communities even sacrifice cows for sacred reasons,” she said.
“TUR demands that the government should immediately ban the proposed cow protection march by the Hindu fundamentalist Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati as this would vitiate the pluralist and secular culture of Meghalaya. The cow protection march and erection of Cow Flag in Shillong is not about religious freedom but is clearly about establishing the dominance of fascist majoritarian culture in India,” Rangad said.
She also warned, “If the proposed rally on 2nd October is not banned, then TUR calls all the secular peace loving citizens of Meghalaya to converge on the location of the erection of Cow Flag for a peaceful picnic to celebrate diverse food traditions of Meghalaya including various cow meat/beef dishes.”