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August 11, 2016

Holy Cow - A New Book Edited by Ram Puniyani


A New Book Edited by Prof. Ram Puniyani
Holy Cow
INDIAN POLITICAL CHESSBOARD
 
The cow has taken communal colours. Under a government of the Hindu Right, beef is no more one of the items on the dining table. It is part of religious mobilization of Hindutva politics. The ‘holiness’ of the cow has been stained by Human blood. The lynching of a Muslim by a frenzied mob at a village in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh in the name of ‘holy cow’ is a symptom of the revival of Hindu orthodoxy and return to medieval Brahminical values.
In this context, the book ‘Holy Cow: Indian Political Chessboard’ edited by writer and activist Prof. Ram Puniyani takes a close look at various issues surrounding the ‘cow controversy’. It puts together the true picture of the status of cow and its political use. 13 Eminent writers, each one an authority on his/her filed, who have contributed to this work of pre-eminence, have thrown light on facts hitherto unknown to ordinary mortals.
Just one quote of Swami Vivekananda, regarded as a mentor and philosopher of Hindutva by the RSS, clears the cobwebs surrounding the whole issue. Speaking to a large gathering in USA, he had said: “You will be astonished if I tell you that, according to old ceremonials, he is not a good Hindu who does not eat beef. On certain occasions he must sacrifice a bull and eat it.”
As the cow makes a comeback in the religious and political discourse of the country, the book makes an interesting and thought-provoking reading.

Contents
Will of Babur, Freedom of food, Introduction, Overview: Cow Beef and Indian Politics Scenario, Cow-beef: From Dietary Practices to Religious Symbol, Dalit Muslims and Holy Cow, Economic and Contemporary Aspects, Interviews, Dialogues, Index
Authors: B.R. Ambedkar, Javed Anand, S.Anand, Ram Puniyani, Praful Bidwai, Pradeep Deshpande, Mohammad Yunusddin Farooqui, Irfan Engineer, D.N. Jha, Anupama Katakam, Anshul Kumar Pandey, A.J. Philip, Divya Rajagopal, Dinesh C. Sharma.
ISBN 978-93-7495-600-7
Price Rs.450/-
US $ 20/-
Published by Media House, Delhi
For Copies Contact:
Media House
375-A, Pocket -2, Mayur Vihar Phase 1,
Delhi: - 110 091
Ph: 011-43042096, 09555642600, 07042752030