IIT Mandi Director sparks debate with claims of meat eating causing landslides in Himachal
A video clip making the rounds on social media shows Behera making this assertion to a group of students. "To become good human beings, what do you have to do? No to meat eating,” states Behera, urging students to commit to a meat-free diet. He warns that cruelty to animals could lead to the “downfall” of Himachal Pradesh.
Controversy is brewing as IIT Mandi Director Laxmidhar Behera has made a rather unusual claim. He suggests that the recent landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh are a consequence of meat consumption. A video clip making the rounds on social media shows Behera making this assertion to a group of students. “To become good human beings, what do you have to do? No to meat eating,” states Behera, urging students to commit to a meat-free diet. He warns that cruelty to animals could lead to the “downfall” of Himachal Pradesh.
Behera makes a grave prediction about the state’s future, saying, “Himachal Pradesh will experience a significant downfall if we persist in slaughtering animals. Innocent animals are being butchered…which has a reciprocal relationship with environmental degradation. This might not be visible now, but it is there.” He further attributes the large-scale landslides and cloudbursts that Himachal Pradesh has been experiencing to “this cruelty” towards animals.
The date of this speech remains uncertain, but the video has sparked widespread criticism since it began circulating on social media.
Entrepreneur and IIT Delhi alumnus
Entrepreneur and IIT Delhi alumnus Sandeep Manudhane has expressed his disappointment over Behera’s comments on X (formerly Twitter). “The collapse is complete. These superstitious fools will destroy whatever little was built in 70 years,” he vented.
The statement has also been challenged by various geologists and science professors from different universities. They assert that the IIT Director’s claims are baseless, explaining that the disasters in Himachal Pradesh are due to various geological reasons and other human-induced factors.
Interestingly, Behera’s statements have led to comparisons with remarks made by right-wing supporters blaming the 2018 Kerala floods on beef consumption.
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