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
