The meat of the matter, in a manner of speaking, concerning civic bodies in different parts of Maharashtra proposing to impose a ban on the sale of meat on Independence Day, pertains to the issue of personal liberty. State diktats that order citizens what to eat or, say, what kind of clothes to wear or even whom to marry are infringements on personal freedoms. These interventions go against constitutional protections and, in essence, the spirit of independence itself. Astonishingly, the authorities envisaged such a regressive proposal despite Maharashtra’s political fraternity speaking a different tone. The chief minister, Devendra Phadnavis, echoing his deputy, Ajit Pawar, has said that his government is not interested in such matters. The Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction has protested too. Municipal authorities having the gumption to press forward in the face of opposition from the government is a phenomenon that beggars belief. What is the charade that is at play?

This development needs to be seen in light of the wider institutional assault on meat consumption in India. Earlier, religious occasions were cited as an excuse to demand such bans. The kanwar yatra in Uttar Pradesh is one instance. Now official holidays on the calendar of an ostensibly secular State are not being spared either. The irony is that surveys have repeatedly pointed out that the majority of Indians are meat-eaters. That the dietary preference of a minority is being imposed on a nation with diverse traditions of food and consumption is both puritanical and unacceptable.