India’s Kerala Bank Manager Bans Beef, Employees Host Beef Party Outside Office

In Ernakulam, Kerala, Canara Bank employees held a “beef fest” on 28 August to protest after a newly appointed regional manager, reportedly from Bihar, ordered the canteen to stop serving beef. Organized by the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), the protest initially targeted the manager’s alleged insulting behavior and mental harassment but intensified following the beef ban. Federation leader SS Anil emphasized that food choices are a personal right protected by the Constitution, clarifying that the protest wasn’t about forcing anyone to eat beef. Employees expressed their anger by serving and eating beef with parotta outside the bank. Local MLA KT Jaleel supported the protest, saying superiors shouldn’t dictate what people eat or wear. Kerala has a history of beef festivals as a form of protest, including similar demonstrations in 2017 after the central government restricted cattle slaughter.