Cows, vigilantism, vegetarianism and farmers

We need to find ways to nurture this economy in which individual farmers benefit from the small-scale operation

I would not advocate vegetarianism. When I reasoned this out in this column a few years ago, I received the usual insults. Environmentalists are expected to be vegetarian or, better, vegan! But what did not register to many was my emphasis: “I am saying this as an Indian environmentalist; not global or Western environmentalist.”

My argument has been that Indian farmers practise an agro-silvo-pastoral system and that livestock is a crucial part of their economy. Taking away the meat would demonetise their assets. It would kill their income. I argued that it is the quantity of meat we consume and how