24 youth from various districts of Kerala have been brutally boycotted following the orders of the three tribal hamlets in Marayoor Panchayat in Idukki over the reports of consumption of beef, which is traditionally considered to be a taboo in the tribe. Few of the tribal youth reportedly tried to commit suicide in the aftermath of humiliation and fear due to the ostracisation order by the villages.
A brutal boycott of tribal youths
The tribals who are facing social expulsion belonged to Marayoor Periyakudi, Kammalam Kudi, Vengapara, Nellipattikudi, Kuthukal, and Kavakutty settlements. They have reportedly eaten beef from the nearby hotels in Marayoor town. One of the banned tribal stated, “We are not allowed to return to our houses and since we fear that if any of our family members support us, they might also get punished. So we are not returning to our homes.”
“Few of the exiled members attempted suicide after the boycott order”, Malayala Manorama reported.
After a few political activists have highlighted the whole development, the special branch of Kerala Police started an investigation.
While the tribal settlements continue to keep an eye on the traditional ways of living, it is the head of the community (Mooppan) who takes the decisions.
Marayoor is close to the Tamil Nadu border, which is also one of the major haven for Christian conversion activities.
Cow slaughter- a punishable offence
The cow is considered a sacred animal in India, and the slaughter of cows is banned in most of the states except Kerala, West Bengal, and Northeastern states. Cow slaughter is a punishable offense, as per the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, passed by the then Union government under the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Yet, the Congress party in Kerala has repeatedly tried to hurt the sentiments of the cow worshiping majority of the country. Additionally, the Congress party had distributed beef curry outside a police station under the leadership of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) general secretary Advocate K Praveen Kumar.
Hindus in Kerala are a small majority over Muslims and Christians who do not share the Hindu sensibilities on cows. It is fair to say that far from mobilizing masses in favour of Dravida Nadu, beef parties serve to help political parties burnish their credentials and consolidate their vote banks.