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DIMAPUR — Citing the risk of religious and social conflict, the Angami Public Organisation (APO) has called on the state government to block a planned rally advocating for a ban on cow slaughter.
The APO warned that the “Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra,” scheduled to arrive in Kohima on September 28, could provoke backlash from the state’s Naga tribes, who traditionally consume beef as part of their cultural practices.
“As a Naga you are aware that no Naga festival is celebrated without the slaughter of the cow,” the APO wrote in a letter to the Chief Minister. “Beef is a delicacy to the Nagas and any campaign to ban the slaughter of cow in the Naga inhabited area is bound to face fierce resentment.”
Read more: Cow slaughter ban: Nagaland BJP joins chorus of opposition
The organisation stressed that while they respect the dietary choices of other communities, they reject any attempt to impose food restrictions on the Naga people.
It further objected to the campaign’s reverence for the cow as “mother.”
“In our culture it is a taboo to address any animal as our mother or father”, the APO stated, adding that it is “totally against anyone dictating us on how to address our cows and dogs.”
Highlighting the longstanding peaceful coexistence between Hindus and Nagas in the state, the APO cautioned that the rally could disrupt interfaith relations, and urged the government to prioritise peace and social harmony by prohibiting the yatra from entering Nagaland.