When people think of Delhi, one image that comes to mind—at least for those who visited 25 years ago—is that of cows. Sacred cows. White cows. They wandered calmly through the streets while rickshaws, motorcycles, three-wheelers, cars, and trucks squeezed past one another in every direction. It was Indian chaos at its finest.
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Yet when I returned about five years ago, the cows had somehow vanished.
I asked several Indians what had happened. Most gave evasive answers. But an Indian journalist I met at a symposium was refreshingly candid.
“They’ve either been eaten or exported,” he said matter-of-factly.
According to him, many of the sacred cows are exported to Muslim-majority Bangladesh. India, somewhat surprisingly, has become one of the world’s major beef exporters. The sacred cow has been transformed into an economic resource.
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And there is more.
I am told that steak restaurants are now becoming fashionable in Delhi. Next time I visit, I may have to investigate for myself.
Years ago, even at McDonald’s, you could not find a proper beef hamburger. And the curries I was served morning, noon, and night seemed to consist entirely of veg—vegetarian dishes. After a while, it became a challenge to maintain enthusiasm.
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Civilization advances, and beef becomes more plentiful.