IIT-Mandi director links 'meat eating' to Himachal crisis, sparks outrage
The director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, Laxmidhar Behera, has sparked a massive row after he reportedly linked the recent landslides and cloudbursts in Himachal Pradesh to people eating meat. A video of Behera, where he can be seen addressing a group of students in an auditorium and urging them to avoid consuming meat to become "good human beings," has since gone viral.
Here's what Behera said
As per the IIT-Mandi chief, "Himachal Pradesh will face a significant downfall if innocent animals are not butchered. You are butchering them, the innocent animals." "That has a symbiotic relationship with the degradation of the environment as well, which you can't see now, but it will have," Behera can be heard saying in the viral clip.
You can watch Behera's 'meat eating' remarks here
Congress leader demands IIT-Mandi chief's removal
The remarks from the IIT-Mandi director drew criticism from various corners, with Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh bashing Behera for the "flabbergasting statement." Reacting to it, Ramesh tweeted, "He (Behera) actually has shown he is not fit to hold the position. The longer he stays, more the damage he will do to the spirit of scientific temper."
Expert reveals real reason behind landslides, cloudbursts in Himachal
To note, cloudbursts and landslides in July and August ravaged the Himalayan state, causing significant damage to properties and killing over 200 people. Geologist Ambrish Kumar Mahajan said the recent disasters were due to unplanned construction, extreme weather, and the young and active range of the Himalayas, according to the Hindustan Times. "I can't comment on what someone has said. However, the disasters in Himachal were due to geological and anthropogenic activities," he said.
Past controversies involving Behera
It is worth noting that this is not the first time that the IIT-Mandi chief has sparked a row with a controversial statement. According to the news agency PTI, Behera made the headlines last year after he alleged that he was part of an act of exorcism to rid his friend's apartment and family of "evil spirits" with the help of "holy mantras."
Know about Behera's academic background
According to the official IIT-Kanpur website, Behera specializes in artificial intelligence and robotics. He completed his BSc (Engineering) and MSc (Engineering) from NIT Rourkela in 1988 and 1990, respectively, and also served as the Poonam and Prabhu Goel Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Kanpur. Behera also has a Ph.D. from IIT-Delhi in electrical and electronics engineering and has been "teaching and living on the principles of the Bhagavad Gita" over the past 35 years.
