On the controversial cow yatra, Congress Party member and lawyer Erwin K Sutnga has maintained that the group behind it is trying to undermine the secular nature of the Indian Constitution.
A Hindu group wants the cow declared as the “nation’s mother” and to put an end to cow slaughter. In this vein, they had planned to hold a rally in the state capital on October 2. However, the group’s leaders were prohibited from flying from Agartala to Shillong Airport in Umroi yesterday due to fears that its members presence and the planned rally would incite tensions within members of society.
Speaking to Highland Post, Sutnga said this attempt of such a group is directly against the right to food of the indigenous people of the state.
“When beef consumption is part and parcel of the majority of our traditional food system such interference is not acceptable. Who knows, gradually they will start interfering with our marriage and divorce system, the clothes we wear, our traditional institutions, etc,” he said.
Sutnga, however, expressed appreciation towards the Hindu community of Meghalaya, which, through the Central Puja Committee, rejected the group.
“Hinduism is a religion that respects others and builds on the principle of love but there are some extremists and groups who don’t understand a thing and with no regard for the other way of life, tradition and belief want to impose such things and we have every right to ban such a thing,” he said.
Sutnga further emphasised that the central government, state government and the autonomous district councils should also see that these extremist groups should not be allowed to suppress the people of the North East in other states because they were not allowed to carry out such a yatra here.
“I also congratulate the Chief Secretary and the Deputy Commissioner (of East Khasi Hills) who took the right decision as the state officers in the situation, and it is a pity that our CM (Chief Minister) only knew how to escape the scene,” he added.
