India’s meat map: 7 out of 10 people relish non-vegetarian items, East & South lead the way

National Family Health Survey – 4 data suggest that 70 per cent of women and 78 per cent of men in the country consume some form of meat.

Sample these: Roadside stalls in Ahmedabad cannot sell non-vegetarian food from now on; two other major cities of Gujarat Vadodara and Rajkot have instructed vendors to cover non-vegetarian items; meat shops in Gurugram are not allowed to open on certain days; and a municipal corporation in Delhi does not want non-vegetarian items to be prominently displayed.

These are but a few instances of the many attempts to regulate food patterns of Indians. And this is continuing despite multiple reports pointing out that over 70 per cent Indians consume items such as fish, meat or eggs.