Globalization, whether considered beneficial or harmful, is often considered the major driving force of the modern global economy. From clothing to computers, most of the products we use have components from many countries and are produced far from where they are sold. This system of utilizing multiple sources for components is due in part to the low cost of transportation. However, will this always be the case?

In an article by ABC News (Click Here), the consequences of higher transportation costs are described. In the summer of 2008, the cost of a barrel oil surpassed $100 for the first time in history. These massive oil costs led to an even larger increase in shipping costs. Due to these increased shipping costs, some companies found that it was more profitable to produce goods in the country in which they were selling in rather than using lower manufacturing costs somewhere else. This change is described as reverse globalization.

Although oil prices are not as high as they once were, reverse globalization is still occurring. The automotive industry provides an example of this. In the United States, Korean car company Hyundai built their first plant in 2002 to reduce their overall costs. Since transportation costs are proportional to the volume of goods being transported, Hyundai chose to manufacture their top selling U.S. vehicles at this plant to minimize these costs. Despite being only a single plant, this decision has been very successful in that it has helped Hyundai garner a stronger presence in the United States.

This might lead one to think that countries like India will suffer from this reverse globalization in America. However, similar occurrences are happening in India as well. Most high-end automakers who could afford to have their vehicles shipped into India since they already command a price premium are now being built in India for Indians. These include vehicles like the Audi A4, BMW 5 Series, and Mercedes C-Class. Although I do not remember the original page with the information pertaining to the particular vehicles produced, Wikipedia also contains this list: (Click Here)

Coca-Cola, which used to be imported into India, is now being produced in plants once used by a local cola producer.

Given the gains experienced world-wide from reverse globalization, does this mean the end of globalization? Or is this simply a false term, and merely an evolution of globalization?

-Mathew Perez

Alms…….to give or not to give? That is the question.

Visitors to India each year are most certainly bombarded by children in the streets begging for money, all day, every day. Often, these kind-hearted visitors will feel such sympathy; they will give to one child, then another, and then another. But the children just keep coming and coming and coming. The poor children of India’s slums and suburbs number in the thousands and too often, the money given to them is never seen by these needy children again, but rather placed in the hands of the…mafia? Yes, the “begging mafia” as it is referred to in India.

It is common to find that in the states of Kerala, Bihar and New Delhi, where the children are not begging for themselves. They are begging for a kingpin who exploits them daily to make a quick profit. Police statistics, which are presumably well understated, report the number of missing Indian children per year at 44,000. These number are staggering but even more than the numbers is the sad truth that hundreds if not thousands of children are not “missing” at all, but kidnapped, drugged, and used in the begging-trade. Run much like a drug trade, there are numerous levels of organization; from the children, ranging in age from infants to teenagers, to the women posed as social workers, to gang masters who will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing to hit their daily “targets.”

…criminals are so violent and amoral that they are prepared to hack the limbs off children, as well as steal new-born babies from hospitals…They use the children as begging ‘props’ to maximize their earnings from sympathetic passers-by. For in Mumbai, as well as in other major Indian cities, hundreds of young children have had their arms and legs chopped off; scores of others have been blinded. The gangs also pour acid on to the children’s bodies, leaving them with suppurating wounds…By no means all are mutilated by the beggar mafia, but those with the worst injuries do make the most money — up to £10 a day for deformed children, a fortune in a country where millions survive on just a tenth of that…

It is no wonder that the begging trade is so pervasive and ruthless. Almost as lucrative as the drug trade, the beggar mafia brings in over $30 million a year and that’s only in Mumbai. With over 300,000 children begging on the streets of India, there is plenty of money to go around. Plenty of money to keep corrupt local law enforcement at bay, and commonly turn a blind eye and ear to the parents of ‘missing’ children. What’s worse is the way in which these criminals enforce their rules and manage to keep these children under their control and exploit them day in and day out.

After being abducted, the children are taught begging techniques. “They are taught the ways and nuances of begging such as the most appropriate place to beg, the kind of people one should approach, the kind of dialogues and mannerisms that would make everyone sympathize,” said Mufti Imran, a researcher with the non-governmental organisation Save the Children. “The more a person is tortured or tormented, the more unfortunate he looks – all this will invoke more sympathy among the people who will then give them alms, and religious places are the perfect places to extract more,” said Mr Imran, explaining why the beggars seek out places of worship.…Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost all of these child beggars, whether mutilated or not, are addicted to solvents, alcohol and charras (powerful Afghan hashish, often laced with opium), which are supplied by the gang masters to keep the children under control. ‘It helps us forget where we are,’ says Tufhaar, nine, a child beggar who had his left arm removed and constantly sucks on a bag filled with glue. Right across this chaotic city, amputees line the streets, operating in aggressive gangs at every intersection and tourist attraction. Many maimed children are terrified of speaking out, saying their limbs ‘just disappeared’ or blaming unspecified ‘accidents’. This code of silence is understandable. ‘The gang masters hold you down and cut out your tongue if they think you have informed,’ says Flintoff, 18, a ‘reformed’ local Indian gangster and former child beggar who wears a T-shirt with a picture of the rapper Eminem. ‘I still steal now and again, and sell drugs — but I keep away from the beggar mafia. These men are not human.’

The Indian government has banned begging and even placed fines to those seen giving handouts to children on the streets, but enforcement is almost nonexistent. The government itself will not admit that many of its countries children are forced into this type of life-long slavery. What are the poor children of India to do when their government has seemed to give up on them? Run away? Run away to what? To where?

How can India’s government get a handle on this type of corruption? How does India’s government combat a society “born to beg?”

The following video brought tears to my eyes…what can be done?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ_dH9KX4XQ

I’m certain when we embark for India, we all will encounter many of these poor children begging for anything they can get. Certainly some of these poor will really be in desperate need and your money may actually go to their good cause but how can you be sure? Does offering a bit of hope with a handout also mean you are supporting the beggar mafia?

When we visit India this summer, will you give?

-Leslie Mann

Works Cited:

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/bhiksha/begging.htmhttp://sacredcows.typepad.com/weblog/2008/05/begging-mafia.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Indias-Missing-Children—Kidnapped,-Forced-into-Prostitution-or-in-Mafia-run-Begging-Gangs&id=477615

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1127056/The-real-Slumdog-Millionaires-Behind-cinema-fantasy-mafia-gangs-deliberately-crippling-children-profit.html

Related Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmpON5eT1uY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejFI6JcVsLA

Helpful Travel Hints: http://goindia.about.com/od/annoyancesinconveniences/p/indiabegging.htm

For centuries, India has taken pride in its ability to assimilate foreigners that immigrate to its territory. The videshi (foreigner), allured by the many charms of India becomes a deshi, someone native to the desh (country). A historical example of this comes in the legendary story of the arrival to India of the Parsi people, of Zoroastrian faith, who were fleeing forced conversion to Islam in Persia sometime between the eighth and the tenth century. When they first asked for the local ruler’s permission to settle on his land, they received a negative response. They were told: “India is a glass of milk filled to the brim” and that there was no room. The Parsis’ response was equally poetic and so spiritual that the king, delighted, reconsidered and ultimately welcomed them to his land. The Parsis’ replied that they would be “like a spoonful of sugar in milk”, and their presence would make life in the kingdom even more pleasant for all its inhabitants.

During India’s struggle for independence, Gandhi insisted that a clear distinction be made between two imperatives: driving out the British civilization, with its imperialist, capitalist and militaristic tenets and getting rid of the English. For Gandhi, an Englishman who was ready to live in India as an Indian was welcome as an equal. But all were not of that opinion… Today, the concept of homeland is very strong among Indians. Even when they migrate to America, Europe or elsewhere, they remain deshi.

Many Indians today benefit from relocation as they can easily find work by offering a more affordable work force. In India however, some are uncomfortable with the large influx in Chinese workers which are there for the same reason: they offer businesses a competitive edge. Although the Chinese are more expensive, they have a reputation of being able to complete projects in record times. Simultaneously, millions of Indians are jobless, but India needs to progress and develop fast. New Delhi has made it a priority that the new airport and public transport network be ready for the Commonwealth Games in October 2010. The image, visitors should take away is that of a modern desh, even if this image is shaped by the work of foreigners.

Source: http://www.courrierinternational.com/breve/2010/03/15/new-delhi-demande-a-la-france-un-geste-envers-les-sikhs

-Michael Harroch

China and India provide vast opportunities for trade and investments in all major sectors. In the next few decades, fueled by economic liberalization, China and India will join the U.S to become the three largest economies in the world. China and India will provide enormous upside potential for U.S. firms, as well as risks.

As a Chinese saying goes, “Know yourself and your competitors (partners), and you will never fail.” Understanding the business culture is very much the key to be successful in both countries.

Our cultures define our fundamental beliefs about how the world works and forms ways in which we interact and communicate with others and develop and maintain relationships. Doing business in a particular nation requires a focus on a multi-dimensional understanding of its culture and business practices. Understanding those differences and adapting to them is the key. The Indian economy has been booming for the past few years. The country holds great promise for the future.

The business culture of India is a reflection of the various norms and standards followed by its’ people. Indians have various cultural yardsticks, which extend to their business culture too. I have done some research regarding the business culture in India, and from my understanding, I found the following ones to be important:

1. The ‘namaste’ forms an important part of Indian etiquette and is generally used while greeting and saying good-bye. This gesture is akin to the act of genuflection in some countries and is performed by pressing the palms of both hands together (fingers up). The folded hands are placed below the chin and accompanied with a bow. However, educated Indian men and women, who are acquainted with western customs, prefer shaking hands. Moreover, while greeting any individual use his or her title (if he has any). To mark respect, you may also suffix ‘ji’ to the name of a person.

2. In India, companies follow a hierarchical system and the decision making is usually from the top to bottom. Business decisions could be at times time consuming, and International companies do show respect to this aspect. The lack of infrastructure and inadequate supply chain management can also act as bottleneck for foreign investment.

There are more useful details online, if you are interested, these websites can help you learn more about Indian business culture: Article 1 and Article 2.

Another interesting thing I found when I did the research for Indian business culture is the importance of building a good working relationship. Indians only deal favorably with those they know and trust, even at the expense of losing out on lucrative deals. It is vital that a good working relationship is founded with any prospective partner. This must take place on a business level, i.e. demonstrating strong business acumen, and at a personal level, i.e. relating to your partner and exhibiting the positive traits of trustworthiness and honor.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the People’s Republic of China also finds itself in the midst of social, economic, and cultural transition. The pursuit of profit is no longer ‘counter-revolutionary’ and business people have long since ceased being viewed as enemies of the people. “’It doesn’t matter whether a cat is black or white so long as it catches mice.’ ‘To get rich is glorious.’”

In China, relationship is everything in the business world. Chinese business contacts are mostly referrals; essentially a business relationship is struck based on another business associate’s recommendation. The best prices and deals often come through a strong recommendation. However, cold calls and direct contacts are common today, given the availability of the internet and the competitive nature of Chinese businesses. You may source from the internet, trade fairs, catalogues, brochures, and advertisements, and approach the Chinese companies directly through a call or email.

Chinese business relationship inevitably becomes a social relationship after a while. Unlike Western business relationship which remains professional and perhaps, aloof even, after some time, Chinese business relationship becomes a social one.

The more you share your personal life, including family, hobbies, political views, aspirations, the closer you are in your business relationship. Sometimes, a lot of time is spent discussing matters outside of business, but then a lot of time, the other party is also making up their mind about your deal based on their assessment of the personal relationship you have, with them.

Reference: http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Business-in-China.html

http://www.tradechakra.com/business-culture-india.html

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-india.html

-Yuxiang Gao

In the last few weeks, Jason and Kirk were working hard to set up a video conference with some MET University MBA students whom we are going to meet in June. Last Thursday it was finally happening.

The evening started at 7:00pm with some fine Indian food prepared by Dr. Singh’s wife. After eating (a lot), we started the video conference with the MET students. The meeting was very interesting in terms of seeing the differences between the curricula of the programs, the off-campus life and the attitude of the students. Besides the content of the meeting, I think it was also very valuable to practise the use of video conferencing equipment. Since, we will most likely use this at the workplace in the future, this was a great “low risk dry run”.

A major difference between CalPoly and MET is how interconnected MET is with companies. It seems like the students over there start working closely with potential future employers from day one. Class projects are conducted in conjunction with industry partners. The geographical location of CalPoly might make such a high level of integration a bit more difficult but I think this is definitely something we should look into doing more than we currently do.

In terms of differences in students’ life, I found it to be very interesting. Apparently most of the Indian students still live with their parents. I feel like it is a major part of the college experience in the US (and as a matter of fact, in Europe too) to move away from your parents for the first time and learn to become independent. I am really curious to talk about this in more detail when I’m over there.

All in all, the MET students seemed like an awesome crowd and I am really looking forward to meeting them in June … ofcourse, we are also going to kick their butts in a game of cricket!!

Last but not the least, I want to use this chance to thank Jason and Kirk for their continuing effort to make events like this happen! I hope everyone understands how much value they add to the program and how much of their free time they are spending for us!!

-Vitus Holzner

It was 4:00 am and I couldn’t sleep. Naturally I started to think about our India trip and logged on to our India blog site. Since the beginning of this year I feel like I have learned a lot about Indian food, culture, people, history, business, etc. But like everything else in life, the more I learn the more I realize how much more there is to learn. So, I started to think about what I really want to know and what I really should know before stepping off the plane in New Delhi in just over 3 months. That’s when it hit me, I don’t know much about New Delhi! Though I am interested in learning all about the city, for the purposes of our trip, I feel that it is prudent to understand the composition of the population and the business environment over there. I did a little research to familiarize myself with these aspects of the Capital of India.

Population

New Delhi takes up a whopping 573 square miles in Central Northern India. It is estimated that Delhi proper is home to more than 16.5 million people (Article 1), most of whom speak English, Punjabi, Hindi, and/or Urdu (Article 3). Just as in most of India, multiple religions are practiced widely throughout Delhi, including Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Sikhism. This makes for a truly diverse population that for the most part peacefully co-exists to make this modern metropolis.

The people in Delhi are fairly well educated with a literacy rate of about 82% vs. the Indian average of about 66%. This makes sense seeing why Delhi is considered to be the ‘gateway into India’ and that better educated people tend to flock to capital cities all over the globe. The people of Delhi also have a relatively high per-capita income of approximately Rs 51,000 (rupees) when compared to the national average of about Rs 23,000 (Article 4). At almost 2 times the national average wage, people are doing pretty well in New Delhi. If I lived in India, this would definitely be one of my top choice cities.

Business

Delhi makes up a huge thriving economy that has a GDP of about $10.5 billion (478 billion INR) (Article 2). About 33% of the population of New Delhi is in the workforce, which adds up to about 5.5 million people (Article 5). The unemployment rate in New Delhi is around 5% (Article 5), which is lower than the national rate of about 6.8% (Article 6). People in New Delhi want to work and there are jobs available. Obviously New Delhi is a good place to do business.

The major industries in New Delhi are information technology, banking, media, hotels and tourism (Article 5). The large skilled labor pool in New Delhi attracts foreign investment which in turn spurs growth in manufacturing and production. This investment triggers new construction, power and telecommunication needs, and real estate sales, which account for a large portion of New Delhi’s economy. New Delhi’s economy has new infrastructure as its backbone and is fleshed out by the industries listed above.

In addition to having a large skilled labor pool, New Delhi has a huge consumer market in Delhi (16.5 million people), that retail businesses can potentially tap into. As mentioned above, this consumer market is on average better educated and has more money than the national average in India.

Conclusion

I know that this is an incredibly quick and superficial look at the people of New Delhi and its business environment. I encourage everyone to add to these facts (or correct them if needed) so that we all can have a better understanding of where we are going to be this summer. The next city on my list is Bangalore.

References:

1. http://www.prb.org/Articles/2007/delhi.aspx

2. http://www.delhicapital.com/about-delhi/fast-facts.html

3. http://delhi.clickindia.com/general/facts.html

4. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Average-Delhiite-earns-Rs-54K/articleshow/1789927.cms

5. http://www.mapsofindia.com/delhi/industries-in-delhi.html

6. http://www.indexmundi.com/india/unemployment_rate.html

As most of you know, for centuries, Indian tradition has given parents ultimate power in deciding who their children marry.  As India continues to modernize, however, marriages based on love are becoming increasingly common.  The long held norm of arranged marriages is being replaced by matrimonial unions based on love, and the often blinding emotions surrounding it.  The institution of marriage, however, is as important as ever, and is still seen as highly honorable.  Quickie marriages such as those available in Las Vegas, are not an option, and divorce is regarded as socially unacceptable.  Parents therefore find it crucial to ensure that their children’s love interests are acceptable suitors for marriage.  For this task, “wedding detectives” have recently become heavily relied upon (Click here for the full story).   

The recent Associated Press story available above, speaks of Ajit Singh, a marriage investigator whose business has been booming.  Because Indian views on relationships have begun to modernize with the rest of the country, families have begun to employ detectives such as Mr. Singh to validate the legitimacy of the potential union.  People are growing desperate to ensure that their childrens’ marriages don’t end in disaster in the face of the complications that love brings about.  Because of this concern that many face in this deeply traditional nation, multitudes of agencies that focus on premarital investigations have sprung up.  Detectives such as Ajit Singh are “consulted to look for signs of trouble: a potential groom about to lose his job, or a potential bride too flirtatious with the neighbors.”  “We start with the house: How many people live there, whether the property is owned or rented, if the subject in question is married or has been engaged before,’’ said Singh. “We talk to drivers, neighbors, neighbors’ drivers, maidservants.’’  Parents hire Mr. Singh to find out if the man in question really has the education and large salary he claims, and if the woman in question is “running around.” 

This story raises a few issues worth discussing about the society we will all be visiting this summer: Is this sort of spying on future sons- or daughters-in-law ethical?  Is it a good or a bad thing that arranged marriages are being replaced by Western-style marriages?  Do you feel that the divorce rate will go up or down in India as the culture shift continues.  Is it fair to assume that there is any more love in “love marriages” than in traditional arranged marriages?

-John Barry

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arranged_marriage_in_India

http://www.pardesiservices.com/tradition/arrangedmarg.asp

http://berchmans.tripod.com/arrange.html

http://marriage.about.co/od/arrangedmarriages/a/childbride.htm

On one hand, you could say that India is a notably tolerant country. Conversely, many argue that this isn’t so. Conflicts within the country between different castes and classes leave the impression that India is not so tolerant. However, treatment of tourists and foreign immigrants reveal characteristics of a tolerant society. An article in the New York Times highlights some main points about tolerance in Indian society. Akash Kapur argues in an article (NYTimes Article) that despite India’s episodes of intolerance, India is an extremely tolerant society. Looking at the two sides of the argument I couldn’t come to a conclusion on whether or not India could be considered a tolerant society.

As more and more western immigrants inhabit the country you would expect to see cultural clashes and rising tensions. However it doesn’t seem like, this is the case in India. There have been few episodes of hostility towards foreigners. Why is this?

Tolerance is shown throughout India’s history. India is one of the most culturally diverse countries, with over 22 official languages and encompasses people following almost every major religion in the world. Political life in India is based on the concept of secularism, and a complete separation of church from state. Rather than portraying hostility towards religion, India maintains a state of indifference that may play an important part of India’s tolerant disposition. Secularism in India can be traced back to Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India, who rejected the idea that India should form a religious state. It seems the tradition of religious tolerance in ancient India still prevails today. But does it really?

Despite India’s tolerance toward the rest of the world, episodes of intolerance are still present in Indian society. For example, one of the most evident displays of intolerance is the discrimination against lower castes, in additions to communal riots highlighting persistent tensions between religious groups. There have been multiple clashes between Hindus and Christians and between Hindus and Muslims.

In 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots broke out killing more that 1,000 people. In the early 1990’s Hindu-Muslim violence arose as a result of the destruction of a Muslim mosque by a Hindu mob. In the aftermath of the incident, 2,000 people were killed in the riots and the bomb blasts that accompanied the incident. More recently there were protests against a Bollywood star supporting Pakistanis on Indian cricket teams. These protests were instigated by Bal Thackery led Shiv Sena party. These are just a few examples of some of the intolerances that have surfaced within India. Another interesting article I found in the New York Times (Click Here) views tolerance as a weak pillar in India.

In spite of all this, India is engaged and open with the rest of the world and as a result thriving. India has been able to work with other cultures enabling the Indian economy to gain a great deal of strength. Without a general attitude of tolerance, would the country have been able to accomplish its current economic success?

Is India a tolerant society? Can tolerance be the foundation for economic prosperity in India? Is there something we can learn from India’s openness and engagement with the rest of the world?

Additional Sources:

http://www.hindubooks.org/sudheer_birodkar/hindu_history/secularism.html

- Jordan Wente

Addendum from Hemanth

Please consider the complexity of the country when making any judgement. It is still a 60 year young vibrant country with people coming from so many different races and cultures. Before the Indian Union was carved out in 1947, Indian people were never part of what you call an Indian State. There were more than 900 different princely states at that time. There were bound to be clashes given such diversity. Most British Commentators thought that the country was ungovernable and unmanageable. They thought it will break up into 900 different parts again before they even blinked. But Indian state has not only survived but thrived.

We have had setbacks no doubt. Partition of India into India and Pakistan was the biggest of those, and a very challenging one at that because of religious overtones. Thousands lost lives because of the uncertainty over their status after partition. Pakistan turned into an Islamic Republic while India chose to be a secular state in spite of the fact that 80% of the population was Hindu majority. The state itself was founded on the pillars of respect and tolerance for all religions, and why not? Even Hinduism was not a single religion. It was a combination of multitude of religions which existed, clashed, and integrated . So, toleration for all religions was an in-built quantity.  Second incident which tested Indian state’s secular credentials was the Khalistan movement by some radical organizations in Punjab. Third incident which really left a blot on our secular credentials was when historic Babri masjid (mosque) in Ayodhya was brought down. Hindus considered it a holy place as it was the birth place of lord Rama. When Muslim kings ruled India before the British, they destroyed the earlier shrines that existed and constructed mosques right over the sites. Some Hindu fanatics got together in 1992 and incited the crowd to destroy the mosque.  That started a long and bloody communal riot. In 2002 as you have rightly pointed out, another communal riot happened which started with a group of Muslim fanatics burning a passenger compartment full of Hindus chanting “Hail lord Rama”. Aggressive proselytizing tactics by Christian groups were met with intense hatred by fanatical groups.  All these and much more, is very much part of Indian History. In fact, I feel these were necessary speed-bumps in India’s progress in national reconciliation and regional power equation corrections.

However, in general, toleration is appreciated, toleration is taught, and toleration is practiced in India. We as India, wouldn’t be existing if not for tolerance.  In fact, I feel India is one of the most tolerant countries in the world, considering its diversity. See its leaders for instance. Dr. Manmohan Singh (India’s PM) is a practising Sikh which is a minority religion in India. Sonia Gandhi is the head of the Congress Party which is in power. She is an Italian catholic lady wed into the Nehru-Gandhi family and she is probably more powerful than the prime minister himself. Our recent president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, was a Muslim, and he was a very popular head of the state. He was a leading missile and nuclear scientist. In India, like US, religion is not a qualification for success.

Recently the prime minister of India made the following statement at a conclave which I believe very accurately describes India’s progress in spite of the hurdles.

“While people all over are legitimately proud of India’s vibrant democracy, the Government had not been able to deliver in full measure on the enormous promise and potential of the country.  I recognize the frustration well wishers feel when they lament why things don’t work faster or why well formulated plans and policies don’t get implemented as well as they should be.  There is a price India is paying to carry all sections of its people along in national development, but the price is worth paying.”

An Interesting Religious Map of India

Photo: Ville Miettinen

One thing about India that always perplexed me is that cows are seemingly allowed to roam free on city streets and in garbage strewn alley-ways. Why is this? Is this related to cow worship? Is it against the law to eat beef? Isn’t the practice of letting cows roam around dangerous to people driving vehicles? Who takes care of these animals? Who owns them? Who nurses them to health when they’re sick?

My curiosity forced me to research the myths, facts, and controversy about this quizzical practice.

I guess it really all started back in the earliest days of the Hindu religious texts called the Vedas from the second millennium BC. There is no prohibition of the slaughter of cattle in these ancient texts, instead, the slaughter was ordained as part of a sacrificial rite. The early Hindus didn’t avoid the meat of cows; they apparently only ate it in ceremonial feasts that were overseen by Brahman priests.

As the Hindu religion changed over time as a result of socio-economic factors, the practice of cow worship increased. The Vedas from the first millennium now contain contradictory passages. Some passages speak of the ritual slaughter as did those before, while others talk of the strict taboo against beef consumption.

By 200 A.D. the transformation of restricted consumption to cow worship had taken hold. The Brahman priests forbade people to abuse or feed on it. It is called Aghanya - that which may not be slaughtered. The practice of ritual slaughter was removed from religious feasts, and meat eating in general was restricted to nobility.

Today all Hindus are forbidden to eat beef, most people citing the Ahimsa, the Hindu belief in the unity of all life as the spiritual reason for the taboo. It may also be because of the influence of vegetarian practices of another religion called Jainism.

This quick answer seems a little too much of an easy answer though. Other explanations are that maybe the Hindus wanted to further differentiate themselves from the Muslim beef-eaters invading from the north, and that proclaiming that their cows were sacred animals was a way to solidify their ethnic-religious unity. Other reasons for the change of status of the cow might be for purely practical reasons that are related to the preservation of the agrarian society.

It used to be a practice, that a cow would be slaughtered to feed an important guest that was visiting or for the religious ceremony. It would be an insult to the guest or Brahman priest to not slaughter a cow, but to butcher a chicken or goat. The practice of butchering a cow could in reality take the ability to sustain the family away and wipe them out, yet they were forced to perform the slaughter out of social norms. The cow provides many functions to the agrarian Indian family. The oxen till the fields, the milk from the cow is used to feed the family, the butter from the cow is burned for light, and the dung is used for cooking…. by instituting a taboo against the eating of beef, the country as a whole benefits. It seems natural that if there truly is a benefit to people, the priests would support it and evolve their practices in support of this as well. It appears that this may have actually occurred.

Photo: Eli

A common theme throughout Hinduism is the reverence for all things. You can see this common theme of respect for the cow by Hindus rather than true worship as you might worship a God. Cows in the Hindu religion are called Go-Mata (Mother Cow), the one who should be worshipped because of the various graces she bestows on humanity. The “worship” of the cow is not at the same level as Christians worship god. This is evident in the displays that tourists sometimes see when observing cows nosing into a shopkeepers stall.

Westerners expect shopkeepers to respond to these situations with deference due a sacred animal; instead, their response is a string of curses and the crack of a long bamboo pole across the beast’s back or a poke at its genitals.

Mahatma Gandhi recognized this and commented on how sacred cows were being treated.

“How we bleed her to take the last drop of milk from her. How we starve her to emaciation, how we ill-treat the calves, how we deprive them of their portion of milk, how cruelly we treat the oxen, how we beat them, how we overload them.

Sacred animals?

There is a day set aside once a year for the Go-puja or the day for worshipping the cow. This is an occasion that people use to dress them up in costume and treat them with the respect that they are due.

Photo: Dey Alexander

So my next question is this. If so much respect should be accorded to a cow, why are they freely wandering around? In the rural areas, if an extended drought has occurred and the cow stops lactating or becomes barren, which generally happens, the condition may be permanent. A cow in this condition is no longer the asset that it once was and with the taboo in existence, what do you do with a cow like this? It turns out that the local government keeps a public grazing field for just this circumstance. Cowboys are employed by the local governance to care for them (after a fashion) until old age and natural death. If the cow does happen to start lactating again, the farmer has an option to reclaim “his” cow for a small fee, and he’s back on track.

If you live in a city, families don’t have much land and complain that they cannot sustain their cows with their barren land so the cows are allowed to roam the streets, fending for themselves and feeding on garbage and whatever vegetation they can find.

Photo: Leon Morenas                      Photo: Jessica Goldstein/NPR

Unfortunately, this practice of letting cows wander freely has resulted in many cows dying of starvation, In 2000, cows in Lucknow, India were mysteriously dying of some kind of a wasting disease. There was no explanation for the deaths of what were once healthy cows. After being released as usual, into the city’s streets to graze on garbage they became skinnier and weaker, and then died of what appeared to be starvation.

Plastic bags were found to be the culprit. Cows will find edible garbage that was discarded in a plastic bag, and they will eat the whole thing, bag and all. The local veterinarian who performed the autopsies found that there were 50 to 60 plastic bags in the cow’s stomachs that were preventing the food from being digested.

Laws were passed to prevent the thin plastic garbage bags from being used, but the laws were ignored and the cows continue to die. Evidently respect and worship only goes so far.

Some interesting facts:

There are currently over 40,000 cows roaming freely in New Delhi.

To deal with them, New Delhi employs over 100 cowboys.

The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NTPRC) reports that the number of road accidents in India is three times higher than that prevailing in developed countries. The number of accidents for 1000 vehicles in India is as high as 35 while the figure ranges from 4 to 10 in developed countries.

I wonder if it’s because of all the cows wandering around on the roads. What do you think?

Works cited:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7708836/A-Brahmins-Cow-Tales-History-of-Beef-Eating-in-India-by-Hindus

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/beefeating.asp

http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/things/cow.htm

http://www.indiayogi.com/content/symbolism/answer.aspx?id=3

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91310904

http://www.neoncarrot.co.uk/h_aboutindia/india_statistics_1.html

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040806/science.htm#1

http://sociology101.net/readings/Indias-sacred-cow.pdf