New Delhi: The beef ban and liquor ban in some states are severely affecting the agriculture and rural growth, Adi Godrej, the chairman of Godrej Group, has said.
According to a report in Indian Express, Adi, the first industrialist who has openly expressed his reservation over many states seeking strict ban on beef and liquor, also said that there was nothing wrong with Hindus eating beef as it was not considered a religious practice.
“Some of the things are affecting growth, for example, the ban on beef in some states. (This) is clearly affecting agriculture, affecting rural growth. Because what do you do with all these extra cows? It is also affecting business, because this was a good source of income for many farmers. So that’s a negative,” he said.
“There is nothing against beef in our religion. It is a practice that evolved over years of drought, and the elders said don’t slaughter cows, preserve them for milk for children. That has turned into a religious belief. This is ridiculous. Vedic Indians were beef-eaters,” he added.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, India was the world's top beef exporter last year. The data shows that India exported 2.4 million tonnes of beef and veal in FY2015, compared to 2 million tonnes by Brazil and 1.5 million by Australia.
India, Brazil and Australia account for 58.7% of all the beef exports in the world. India itself accounts for 23.5% of global beef exports, up from a 20.8% in 2014.
On liquor ban, he said that states are taking such step just to get the votes of women. “In order to win elections and get women’s votes, some states are doing that. Bihar has brought prohibition. Kerala has brought prohibition. Prohibition is bad for the economy,” he said.
Adi also said that banning alcohol ‘gives rise to bad liquor, and then mafia’.
Adi further expressed belief that India will remain the fastest growing economy in the world and that the country will gradually emerge as a strong developed country.
