Beef-eating festival triggers fighting between Dalit students and Hindu activists

HYDERABAD, INDIA // Clashes broke out at a beaf-eating festival between Hindu activists and Dalit students who had organised the event at a university in southern India.

Police fired tear gas to break up the fighting late on Sunday, in which at least five people were injured and two vehicles were set ablaze at the Osmania University in Hyderabad.

Hindus, the religious majority in India, regard cows as sacred and the animals are often used in temple ceremonies as well as allowed to wander through the country's towns and markets. In the traditional Hindu caste system, Dalits (formerly known as "untouchables") are considered the lowest of castes, and some Dalit groups reject Hindu religious practices such as the ban on eating beef.

Beef biryani and other beef dishes were served to 200 people at the festival before about 50 students belonging to a right-wing Hindu group tried to enter the venue, police said.

"The organisers told us that they were not going to cook beef on the campus but were only bringing in cooked food from outside," Y Gangadhar, a policeman, said. "There was some stone-pelting forcing us to throw tear gas shells to bring the situation under control."

The event, the first of its kind at the university, was to campaign for beef to be included on menus at student hostel accommodation.

"It is unfortunate that people who consume beef are looked down upon by the upper castes, but for centuries beef has been part of our diet," B Sudarshan, a Dalit research scholar and festival organiser, said. "What is wrong in consuming beef? Those opposed to it can advise people not to have beef but they can't force their diktat on us."

Hyderabad student politics have a history of violent confrontation, with previous clashes over the proposed creation of Telangana state, which would be carved out of the present state of Andhra Pradesh.

The city has attracted investment from global firms such as Microsoft and Google and is a symbol of India's emerging economy, but also suffers from deep inter-religious tensions.

Many Indian states have introduced various jail terms for cow slaughter in recent years in a trend seen as reflecting radical Hindu views and anti-Muslim sentiment.