Okay, as my discussion with @rahulroushan, an excerpt of which was tweeted by @digikarma, has triggered yet another debate on beef, I feel I must pitch in with my 2 paisa fwiw. (1/10)

As I clarified in the podcast, not eating beef is a non-negotiable as far as I am concerned, no questions asked. It is absolutely not allowed for Hindus in this yuga. (2/10)

However, I like to take the debate away from the religious to the political for two reasons. One, there is no practical method available to throw out from H society those who do not comply with this requirement. (3/10)

So, if you can't excommunicate a beef eater as modern H society has simply lost all coercive power over the unhinged individual, what good is getting indignant on Twitter about this degeneracy? It is better to work towards a national legislation banning beef incl export (4/10)

Two, quoting Vedas/Upanishads is a double-edged sword because there seem to be many places where beef-eating has been described. I am not a sanskritist, but many H scholars mention this. (5/10)

Those who quote the Vedas against beef- eating often force-fit the inconvenient verses to match their views. As I am not a scholar, I am not qualified to have an independent opinion but rely on the authority of the scholars. (6/10)

That said, to me it does not matter whether people ate beef in Vedic times or not. My living religious tradition does not allow it and that suffices for me. (7/10)

But there are many who quote the Vedas to justify beef eating. Since I am in no position to debate with them, I prefer the political argument of beef issue being symbolic of H resistance. (8/10)

I choose the political argument not because i am shy of the religious rationale, but because it is difficult to explain to a beef loving political Hindu that what we practice today is not necessarily quotable from the Vedas. (9/10)

This opens up a Pandora's box about whether Shruti is to us what Bible is to the Xtians - a book of commandments. That is a discussion I am simply not interested in because I believe it should be self-evident to any sincere Hindu. (10/10)