PETA’s mock solution to OU beef fest

The beef festival, slated to be held on December 10 at Osmania University, is virtually a controversy’s child, with both for and against groups vociferously backing their agenda. Adding fuel to the fire is another set of students who have decided to hold a pork festival on the same day.

While the beef festival is being organised by the Democratic Cultural Forum (DCF), the pork fest is being organised by a group claiming to be part of the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (OUJAC)

In order to avoid any violent backlash, as was the case in 2012, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) activists have come up with a novel win-win solution to appease the warring groups.

PETA India CEO, Poorva Joshipura, in a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University on Friday, suggested the use of mock meat.

“Plant-based faux beef would be just as tasty but far more healthy than red meat, instead of beef from cows or buffaloes. Using mock meat instead of the flesh of animals who had valued their lives just as much as you or I do would teach students a valuable lesson: that when everyone who is affected by a decision does not enjoy the same freedom from harm, it is no longer a simple matter of personal choice. Like any victim of a person who chooses to murder, animals in the meat industry are victims of cruelty.”

Poorva also highlighted the fact that December 10 is not just the occasion of Human Rights Day but is also observed as International Animal Rights Day.

“As there is no requirement for anyone of any religion or background to consume beef or any other animal product, the only real reason left for people to want to consume beef is for the texture and a fleeting moment of taste. The use of mock meat instead of meat from animals for the festival can satisfy these desires,” she concluded.