A Multispecies Politics of Dairy in India, by Yamini Narayanan

India has the largest vegan and vegetarian population in the world; they are known for their respect for cows and the sacred position of cows in Hindu society. But is this really true? Muslims are frequently targets of hate crimes, and accusations of cow slaughter can mean death, but India is one of the biggest beef exporters in the world, and the largest dairy producer in the world. So why is there such a big contradiction? Yamini explores these contradictions in this incredible and important work, arguing that the symbol of the cow as a mother in India is exploited by dairy farmers and weaponized by the far-right wing Hindu Nationalists in order to target Muslims and other minority groups, while the violence frequently inflicted against cows and buffalos in India is hidden. The link between animality and racism that has been explored by a number of Black vegan scholars is seen here under the Indian context of Caste as Yamini shows that violence against animals and human domination often intersects with violence against vulnerable human populations. 

Yamini provides a devastating critique of animal agriculture and a compelling argument for a shift to a vegan food economy for moral, ethical and environmental reasons.

Title: Mother Cow, Mother India: A Multispecies Politics of Dairy in India

Author: Yamini Narayanan

ISBN: 978-1503634374

Publisher: Stanford University Press

Series: (South Asia in Motion) 19 books

Dr. Yamini Narayanan is a Senior Lecturer in International and Community Development. Her work makes substantive contributions to the rapidly emergent field of South Asian Animal Studies through a twin focus on animals in political, and urban life in India. It addresses species as an explicit identity category in Indian national politics, through the intersections of anthropocentrism, sectarianism, and casteism.

Abdourahamane Ly, guest curator for Veganuary at Global Literature in Libraries Initiative, has been vegan for the past seven years now. He is extremely passionate about animal rights and encouraging more humans, especially Africans, to go vegan. He was born in Guinea in West Africa but spent the last 13 years in China. He is currently in Rwanda spreading the vegan message. You can follow him on Instagram at @fulanivegan and X at @fulanivegan.