‘No Beef’: What Triggered A Beef And Parotta Protest Outside A Bank In Kochi?

A protest took place in Kochi on Thursday following a Canara Bank branch reportedly prohibiting beef from its office canteen. The decision, apparently directed by Deputy Regional Manager Ashwini Kumar, who had been transferred recently from Bihar, outraged employees. A “beef party” outside the bank was subsequently organized by the employees, with beef and parotta- a staple food item in Kerala being served.

The Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) organized the protest, which was originally convened to identify harassment at the hands of the manager. After the beef ban news broke, the protest changed its agenda to the protection of the right of choice over food. A BEFI leader was keen to point out that “food is a personal choice protected by the Constitution.”

Political leaders wasted no time extending support to the protest. Independent legislator KT Jaleel, dismissed by the ruling Left, slammed the action by intoning there is no officer that can tell employees what to eat, wear, or think.

He charged the move with being driven by the “Sangh ideology” and asserted that Kerala would never allow interference in culture. In a similar vein, Kerala Minister and CPI(M) leader MB Rajesh claimed that beef eating was a part of the state’s age-old food culture and could not be altered by “any diktat.”

The central leadership of the Canara Bank has yet to come out with an official statement regarding the controversy.

Beef Protests In Kerala- A look back

In Kerala, the beef protests were not the first of their kind. The 2017 directive from the Central government prohibiting the sale of cattle for slaughter from animal markets provoked mass fury across the state. Political parties, student groups, and civil society groups organized “beef festivals” in public spaces throughout the state where beef meals were prepared and served amidst the directive.

The protests were led by student groups and organizations like the DYFI and SFI, both affiliated with the ruling CPI(M), although even the opposition Congress-led UDF was organizing marches and cooking in public kitchens. Even some senior leaders in Congress, including A.K. Antony, asked workers to oppose the notification and to instruct that the notification should be “torn and thrown into the dustbin.” The protests were significant, as they manifested and illuminated how deeply beef is embedded in Kerala’s culture, spanning religious and political institutions.

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