As Meghalaya heads into elections, a declaration – or confession – by a politician from the state on his dietary habits has attracted national attention. Meghalaya BJP president Ernest Mawrie recently said in a media interview that he eats beef, and his party has no problem with it.
Since some supporters of the party elsewhere in India are known for their cow protection vigilantism that occasionally extends to lynching those suspected of eating the holy cow, this declaration has naturally been met with surprise. It is, however, nothing new for BJP leaders in or from the Northeast. For years now, local BJP politicians, especially in the hill states that surround Assam, have been making similar statements every now and then.
