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by Sahadeva Dasa (Author)
May 2004 marked a significant moment in Indian history when a newly elected government decided to accord highest priority to beef consumption and export, making it 'truly a national initiative'. India is known all over the world as a peace loving country. It is a historical fact that India has never attacked any other nation and has always believed in peaceful coexistence. It is also probably the only country that provides for animal care in its constitution. Animals are mentioned as something more than just food. Each citizen is enjoined to care for and preserve nature and its creatures. Compassion and non-violence formed the core belief of all the religions that originated from this great land. Traditional Indian or Vedic way of life teaches respect for all life forms. In their view, all living beings are born of mother nature and have an equal right to life. Indeed, in Vedic conception, animals are treated like innocent children and are meant to be given all protection. But suddenly India's national policy took a U-turn when a particular political party came to power. It was a significant moment in the history of this great nation. Website of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries stated: "There is an urgent need to frame a right strategy for the development of meat and poultry production in the country. This will certainly bring prosperity to millions of our rural citizens and create employment in rural India. Having achieved the Green Revolution, the White Revolution and the Blue Revolution, it is time to ask the question "can the Pink Revolution be far behind?" Certainly this will require large investment in infrastructure, mainly in cold storages, and modern meat processing plants. Without a strong and dependable cold chain, a vital sector like meat industry, which is based mostly on perishable products, cannot survive and grow." They relentlessly pursued their agenda for a decade and the crowning success came when India became the top seller of beef in 2013.
