At the start of the Hindu holy month of Shravan in late July this year, banners appeared in parts of Goa declaring that “Goa bans beef” for the entire month. The order issued by a Hindu group had no official sanction, yet it carried weight.
Shravan, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is traditionally a period of fasting and abstinence for devout Hindus. Many refrain from meat altogether, and beef — considered taboo by orthodox Hindus — is especially sensitive. This time, the observance took on a sharper edge. The self-styled “gau rakshaks,” or cow protectors, began conducting extrajudicial checks on cattle and beef transporters. Their vigilance led to a sudden shortage of beef across the state.
Since 2022, when the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power with a coalition government, such shortages have become more frequent. In December 2024, ahead of Christmas, beef traders went on strike after repeated attacks by cow vigilantes. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, a loyalist of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Volunteers Corps), has been outspoken in his endorsement of right-wing Hindu groups.
“Earlier, people used to come to Goa for the sun, sand, and sea,” he said at an event organized by the Goa-based Sanatan Sanstha, which backs the BJP’s idea of a Hindu Rashtra. “Now they visit Goa’s beautiful temples, culture, and villages. This is Goa’s culture.” Sawant added that the state should not remain a “bhoga bhoomi (land of enjoyment)” but become a “yoga bhoomi (land of yoga).”
Beneath Goa’s postcard-perfect beaches, a deeper contest is unfolding — but that is not about whether Goa should retain any Christian identity.
