The Sandip Roy Show cover image

The Sandip Roy Show

The holy cow and the dairy dilemma ft Yamini Narayanan

Mar 2, 2025
Yamini Narayanan, a Senior Lecturer in International and Community Development at Deakin University and author of 'Mother Cow, Mother India,' dives deep into the complexities of India's revered dairy industry. She discusses the irony of cows being seen as sacred while facing harsh realities like forced separation from calves and over-lactation. The podcast highlights the intersections of animal rights, socio-political issues, and the activism of marginalized communities, prompting listeners to reconsider ethical consumption and the true cost of dairy.
47:34

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast reveals the complexities of India's dairy industry, highlighting the emotional distress caused by the separation of cows from their calves.
  • It explores the role of cow vigilantism in India, emphasizing the tension between animal welfare and nationalist ideologies that often distort cultural significance.

Deep dives

India's Unique Dairy Industry

India hosts the largest dairy herd in the world and has been the leading dairy producer since 1997. This remarkable position is attributed to the unique political and cultural symbolism associated with cows in India, where the animal is revered and often described as sacred. Unlike dairy industries in many countries where milk production is not intrinsically linked to slaughter, the Indian context complicates this by prohibiting cow slaughter. As a result, the industry's economic operations, particularly concerning unproductive dairy animals, create a complex cycle of treatment and potential neglect that doesn't align with global norms.

Get the Snipd
podcast app

Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
App store bannerPlay store banner

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode

Save any
moment

Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways

Share
& Export

Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more

AI-powered
podcast player

Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features

Discover
highlights

Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode