IntelScoops

New Delhi, India — Despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s vocal stance against cattle slaughter and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated invocations of Hindu sentiment tied to the sacred status of the cow, India has quietly become the second-largest beef exporter in the world — thanks to its massive trade in buffalo meat, commonly known as carabeef.

In 2014 alone, India exported buffalo meat worth over $3.8 billion (₹31,500 crore), catering to the protein demands of more than 60 countries, including major markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. While cow slaughter remains banned in most Indian states due to religious sensitivities among Hindus, buffalo slaughter is permitted — and the distinction has allowed the country’s meat exporters to flourish.

A Quiet Economic Powerhouse

The buffalo meat industry provides a vital economic lifeline, particularly in rural Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Punjab, where meat processing units and cold storage facilities employ thousands — many of them Muslim butchers and traders. India’s buffalo meat is prized for being leaner and cheaper than other red meats, making it a staple in global low-cost protein markets.

Yet this booming trade has long existed in paradox with the BJP’s ideological positioning.

Modi, the “Pink Revolution,” and Double Standards

Before taking office, Narendra Modi famously criticised the Congress-led UPA government for supporting what he called the “Pink Revolution” — a reference to the growing meat export industry. He accused it of promoting slaughterhouses over agriculture, warning voters of India becoming a global hub for meat rather than milk.

However, under Modi’s leadership, beef exports continued to thrive in the early years. The government even offered subsidies and support to modernise meat processing units — albeit quietly — given the sensitivities around the issue.

Muslims Caught in the Crossfire

At the same time, the BJP’s political narrative has grown increasingly hostile towards Muslims, who make up a significant portion of India’s meat processing and trade workforce. Cow protection vigilantism, fuelled by Hindu nationalist rhetoric, has led to mob lynchings, arrests, and harassment, disproportionately targeting Muslim communities — even in cases involving buffalo meat or leather transport.

While cow protection laws have been expanded and weaponised across BJP-ruled states, little clarity has been offered on how buffalo meat exports continue to surge legally. Critics argue that the BJP’s selective outrage and moral posturing on cattle slaughter serve more to target minorities than to address actual trade or religious concerns.

“This is not about cows. It’s about using religion as a tool for dominance — and Muslims are always the first to bleed,” said a civil rights lawyer based in Lucknow, responding to rising cases of vigilante violence.

The Global Demand vs. Domestic Politics

India’s carabeef continues to feed millions globally — especially in countries where dietary laws require non-pork, non-cow meat alternatives, such as in the Gulf and Southeast Asia. Yet at home, the same communities who maintain this export dominance are increasingly under siege.

This contradiction — between the economic embrace of meat exports and the ideological war against cattle slaughter and Muslims — remains one of the defining hypocrisies of India’s ruling establishment.

While beef may be banned in public discourse, it remains big business in the back rooms of Indian policymaking.

And as long as the world keeps buying, India will keep exporting — even if it means sacrificing truth for optics.