India text teaches meat-eaters "commit sex crimes"

Children attend a Global Handwashing Day event at Worli Seaface Mumbai Municipal Corporation School Oct. 15, 2012, in Mumbai, India. / Getty Images for Unilever

A children's textbook in India has caused an uproar for including among its lessons that people who eat meat lie, cheat and "commit sex crimes," the British Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

The textbook is one of nine published by the Indian company S. Chand Group under the "New Healthway" title. The No. 6 book, which the BBC reports is for students 11 and 12 years old, includes one chapter titled "Do We Need Flesh Food?", which claims to describe the behavior of people who aren't vegetarians.

"They easily cheat, tell lies, forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes," part of that chapter reads, according to the BBC.

"The strongest argument that meat is not essential food is the fact that the Creator of this Universe did not include meat in the original diet for Adam and Eve. He gave them fruits, nuts and vegetables," reads another passage.

An overwhelming majority of Indians follow the religion of Hinduism, whose followers believe that souls can be reborn in the form of animals or humans.

A third selection reads: "The Arabs who helped in constructing the Suez Canal lived on wheat and dates and were superior to the beef-fed Englishmen engaged in the same work."

S. Chand didn't respond to the BBC's request for a comment. The news outlet reported it's not known how many schools in India have bought the book.

"This is poisonous for children," Janaki Rajan, an education professor at Jamia Millia University in New Delhi, told the BBC.

• Click here for the full article from the BBC

[Lurchertiger]

What a load of bull !! I agree with Janaki Rajanain this is clearly brain washing school kids and is poisonous for children

[lifeJim]

The worlds greatest polluters are in the agricultural industry. If the world was still made up of hunters and gatherers there would likely be no over population and most of the other species would not be on the verge of extinction. In fact, one could make the argument that farming is really the beginning of the end for not only the human race but perhaps complex animal life as a whole since it is likely we will extinguish ourselves at some point. Farmers have wiped out nearly all of the wild areas of the planet. Hunters get angry when wild places are eliminated and reduced, not so much the majority of "civilized" people. Civilization started out small about 7000 years ago - the discovery of growing their own food credited with their success. These civilized people then proceeded to wipe out everyone else. If we relied on hunting and killing our own food, think of all the crimes against other people, animals in general, and the earth itself would not have taken place...

Om Shanti

Take responsibility for what you kill! Eating soybeans, wheat, and rice - contribute far more to the death of living organisms. Those who would try to take the moral high ground by fallaciously claiming not to kill are showing more ignorance than moral superiority.

[gbgentleman]

Presuming the writer of the textbook is a vegetarian then their own words prove vegetarians are liars. Just a glance at the teeth of humans show that meat is a part of their diet.

[lifeJim]

newster are you actually suggesting Incisors are not meant for the tearing and ripping of flesh? Humans are omnivorous and have been with exceptions for their entire existence as far as we know. Though I don't feel killing and eating in flesh is our greatest attribute, teaching children what is mentioned in the article would not educate them but only misinform them. The attempt to take religious beliefs and argue for them pseudo scientifically is appalling.

[CalvinSinger]

If one had a moral trait that killing of other living creatures for food is violent, it would be very unlikely that such a person would inflict violent crimes against other fellow human beings

[CalvinSinger]

The text is correct that Vegetarianism is better for health and longevity. Please look at the studies done on longevity amongst Seventh Day Adventists, a Christian denomination. This text may have gotten some facts wrong on by citing examples of Inuits, Japanese etc.
Ancient Indian spiritual literature, Ayurveda categorize food into 3 categories. Satvik, Rajsik and Tamsik. Meat is considered Tamsik food. It is not the one which promotes spiritual traits. One that does that is Satvik food. This text may be poorly written with factual errors, I accept that.
Ahimsa, non-violence also extends to animals, not just humans. That is what Gandhi taught. That is the Vedic tradition. Did Brahmins eat meat ? Buddhism or Jainism teach the same.

[hypnotoad72]

Until you get arrested for committing malnutrition against your own infant...

http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/miami_death.html

http://hunter-gatherer.com/blog/vegan-baby-dies-because-mothers-milk-was-vitamin-deficient

Holy moly, but I bet there are more than just two incidents out there...

[Kimbakat]

Poison for children...but Yeah.. it's GREAT for animals! Animals rejoice everywhere!

[checkthepast]

Non meat eaters also 'easily cheat, tell lies, forget promises, they are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes'.. oh and consider it justified to murder their daughters for listening to music or 'dishonoring' the father by wearing jeans. The divisions of the worlds people will never be overcome as long as this type of idiocy is being taught.

[hypnotoad72]

Replace "meat eaters" with "white men" or, for a more theatrical effect, insert the name of some religion faction...

The verbiage is indeed highly divisive, because it is deliberately being dishonest and loaded with its claims. Most people I know of who eat meat are nothing of the sorts being claimed!

And whether it's incidental idiocy or outright maliciousness does remain to be determined...

[epluribus22]

Stupid is as stupid does

[grkhetan]

This is unnecessary media hype -- the BBC article says its unknown which schools use this as a textbook -- thats right because its likely NO SCHOOL uses this crappy book as a textbook. As such, crappy books available on the market are dime a dozen. Just because a book is available in the market does not indicate that such crappy books are used as textbooks in India.

[hypnotoad72]

Which means the book will be coming to America as they will be cheaper and therefore easier to profit on...

/cynicism

[rksharma-2009]

This happens to be true. However, there are few other factors along with eating meat that makes people to cheat, lie and be dishonest.

[1notrub11]

Exactly which "this" are you referring to?

I presume the claims in the title are backed by excellent research, making said claims irrefutable?

You forgot to mention the impact of global warming as one of the "other" factors. Makes just about as much sense, with respect to validity.

[Japananda]

It is certainly true as proclaimed in the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavtam. The pious of society have refrained from eating meat since time immemorial.