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'Vegetarianism Is Anti-Nationalism,' Says Author-Activist Kancha Ilaiah

'India Lost Against West Indies Because Of Vegetarianism'
JAIPUR, INDIA - JANUARY 28: Activist and author Kancha Ilaiah speaks at Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur on Monday. (Photo by Ramesh Sharma/India Today Group/Getty Images)
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JAIPUR, INDIA - JANUARY 28: Activist and author Kancha Ilaiah speaks at Jaipur Literature Festival in Jaipur on Monday. (Photo by Ramesh Sharma/India Today Group/Getty Images)

While there are arguments all over the world about how a vegetarian diet is good for a long, healthy life, or how it is changing the human DNA, an Indian author has taken a complete different stand on it.

Prominent dalit author Kancha Ilaiah recently claimed that vegetarianism equals anti-nationalism.

Speaking at an event celebrating BR Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary on Thursday, Ilaiah said:

"Vegetarianism is anti-nationalism...if a whole nation becomes vegetarian, its protein levels will go down. You know why the West Indies won all the games? It is because they eat protein-rich food (sic).”

India lost against West Indies because of vegetarianism, said Ilaiah.

Describing countries like China, Korea, Japan and the US as 'beefarians, porkians, fisharians and frogarians,' Ilaiah said that Indians could not compete with them because of 'lack of protein' in the diet.

"For me, my nation starts with eating beef. Unfortunately, we gave up eating beef and our brains are not growing now. There is not enough protein," he said, according to The Times of India.

Remarking on how the 'upper caste' Hindus in India had slowed down the progress of the country, he said, "At a time when Socrates and Plato were writing about justice and republic, scholars here were busy writing about Kamasutra. Do we need to write a book about that? Animals know how to have a sexual life, why are you teaching it at 1st century AD?"

When Socrates and Plato were writing about justice and republic, Indian scholars were busy writing the Kamasutra.

Ilaiah, who is currently the director of the Centre for Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, has been in the news for his controversial book Why I Am Not A Hindu.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.