To defy new regional officer’s diktat, Canara Bank staff hold ‘Beef Fest’ in Kochi branch

Kochi: Employees of Canara Bank, affiliated with the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), staged a “beef fest” at the bank’s Kochi regional office on Thursday to protest a directive banning beef dishes in the staff canteen.

The order reportedly came from regional officer Ashwini Kumar, who hails from Bihar and had verbally instructed that beef should not be served at the office. In defiance, employees organised the protest meal, serving beef along with Malabar parotta.

A BEFI leader from Ernakulam said the canteen occasionally served beef, and the sudden restriction was unacceptable. “We have the right to decide what we eat. No one is forced to consume beef, but in Kerala, how can such a directive be imposed?” he said.

CPI(M) legislator K T Jaleel also weighed in, calling the ban part of a “Sangh Parivar agenda.” In a Facebook post, he said: “No officer has the right to decide what others eat or wear. In Kerala, people can resist such fascist tendencies, and comrades will not allow anyone to raise the saffron flag to disturb peace.”

Bank authorities have yet to comment on the incident. Beef consumption is common in Kerala, which has previously witnessed protests — including beef festivals — against attempts to restrict cattle slaughter and beef sales.