An Analysis On The Prohibition Of Cow Slaughter

Himika Batra, Christ (Deemed To Be University), Delhi-NCR

ABSTRACT

Veneration of cows has been a part of Hindu culture and beliefs since time immemorial. It is a critical entity in the socio- cultural landscape of our country. Thus, cow slaughter has become a greatly controversial, volatile and a critically sensitive issue. As it is under the state list, there is no single, uniform law explicitly governing cow slaughter. There has been considerable judicial scrutiny over the years. There is a continuous debate about primacy given to dominant Hindu beliefs at the expense of the very idea of constitutional secularism. This paper examines and analyses the legal framework prohibiting cow slaughter along with the debate between secularism and religious beliefs to understand the validity behind prohibition of cow slaughter and whether there should be a nationwide ban imposed.

Keywords: Cow Slaughter, Constitutional Secularism, Hindus, Minority, Religion, Cow Vigilantism, Directive Principles of State Policy