India has a reputation as a vegetarian nation, and Indians certainly consume far less meat than the . But the view of India as a predominantly vegetarian nation may not be quite accurate.
India, whose population is predicted to , is from an agricultural society to an industrial economy with a surging urban population. This is driving the fastest-growing poultry market in the world, as cultural norms change and eating meat becomes a status symbol.
Total vegetarianism is rare
Vegetarianism in India has been over the past 30 years. Only about Indians now claim to be vegetarian, and a 2016 national survey found that of people aged between 15 and 34 eat meat.
A recent found that only 30% of women and 22% of men describe themselves as vegetarian. Other studies have similarly found that a practise vegetarianism.
Even these numbers may well be underestimates. Indians are said to due to religious and cultural stigmas associated with it.
Tastes like chicken
Poultry is India’s , and India is projected to be for poultry consumption.
The rise in meat consumption is , and the come from southern states such as Telgana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Another reason may be that chicken can be considered a , given the religious taboos associated with beef among Hindus and pork among Muslims. Although 80% of Indians are Hindus, India is home to several other , each with its own strictures about . Vegetarianism is less common among who collectively make up .
Tikka butter chicken is loved the world over, and poultry recipes are popular among meat-eaters in India. Source: The Chefs' Line
Upwardly mobile urbanites
In addition to religious and cultural variations, several key factors have influenced India’s shift, overall, towards meat consumption. These include , . Many urban Indians are embracing consumerism as a sign of and meat is widely considered to be a .
On one hand, increasing exposure to new lifestyles is creating cultural change, but there is still pressure to adhere to traditions that have prevailed for centuries.
Despite this, others still consider meat-eating to be . A found young people felt “you eat [meat] in secret, away from your family”.
This appears to reflect differences in , a trait mainly found in collectivist cultures. “Front-stage behaviours”, which is how we act in public, may have more role-playing elements than backstage behaviours, which tend to be carried out in private.
It seems urban Indians today . On one hand, increasing exposure to new lifestyles is creating cultural change, but there is still pressure to adhere to traditions that have prevailed for centuries.
This contradiction is reflected in some of the urban Indian attitudes from the . On one hand, some felt: …in our Bhagvad Gita, Ramayan (in reference to the Hindu holy books) there are old teachings that non-veg is impure. It is the food of demons/monsters.
On the other hand, it was also claimed: [When it comes to] holy men and Brahmins, it’s not like they don’t like eggs or meat. In front of people they will behave, but on the quiet/sly, they will smoke and drink and eat everything else.
Meat eating in India is a complex issue, with many facets. However, recent trends and figures certainly seem to indicate one thing: it is a mistake to label India as a vegetarian nation.
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