獨立后印度的多數邦都頒有禁止屠牛的法令,寬嚴程度不一,其依據是1950年印度憲法"邦的政策的指導原則"中的一個條款。而是否應該立法禁屠、禁屠范圍幾何,在制憲會議時期就是一個爭論問題。自獨立以來,爭議主要在于全面禁屠派要求改變部分禁屠的現狀。本文把禁屠牛令爭議視為觀察印度國家建構和政治走向的一個窗口。本文檢視了母牛崇敬在印度歷史中從宗教觀念上升到國家法律的過程,其中,禁屠牛條款進入獨立印度的憲法直接聯系著護牛議題在反殖民族主義動員中的歷史。而細究爭論中的宗教、經濟和文化政治各方面理據,我們發現最終不得不面對的是印度國家和民主的屬性之爭的問題:在這里,印度教民族主義對世俗民族主義提出的最大挑戰,是對多元包容原則的挑戰。

Most of states of post-independent India have decreed ban on the slaughter of cattle with varying degrees of stringency based on an article of "the guiding principles of state policy"of 1950 Constitution of India. The legislation of slaughter ban and its range caused great controversies during the Constitutional Conventions where the faction of comprehensive ban on slaughter was for change of the situation of partial ban. This article regards the controversies on slaughter ban of cattle as a window to observe India ’s state construction and political orientations. It examines the rising process from religious ideas to the national laws in Indian history concerning the cow worship; therein the terms of slaughter ban of cattle were directly linked with topics of cattle protection in the history of anti-colonial nationalist movements. By further studying religious,economic,cultural and political aspects in the debate we find out that problems of the nature of Indian state and democracy are to be faced: the biggest challenge presented by the Hindu nationalism to the secular nationalism here is that of the principle of diversity and inclusiveness.