Mumbai-based independent journalist Shruti Ganapatye is curious about narratives, especially those that involve the sacred cow. A chain of events piqued her interest in the subject—the beef ban and subsequent closure of abattoirs and unauthorised meat shops in BJP-ruled states, including Maharashtra. This had led to a spurt in cow vigilante violence and the rise of the gau rakshak. “Our generation has seen riots in the name of religion, but lynching because of our food choices, was new even to me,” she tells mid-day. In 2019, Ganapatye set out to research the cultural, religious and political history of the beef ban in India, and how it was impacting the economics of a thinking nation. Her just released self-published book, Who Will Bell The Cow? (Notion Press),  attempts to peel off the complex layers of cow worship and cow politics, examining why the two must be seen as independent of each other.

Edited excerpts from the interview