A branch of Canara Bank in Kochi witnessed an unusual protest this week when employees organised a symbolic “beef festival” inside the premises, serving beef and parotta in defiance of what they alleged was an attempt to ban beef from the office canteen.

The demonstration was spearheaded by members of the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), who claimed that the newly appointed regional manager, originally from Bihar, had instructed staff to stop serving beef—a staple of Kerala’s cuisine. The protest, initially planned to highlight allegations of harassment and insulting behaviour by the manager, shifted focus after reports of the food restriction surfaced, as per a report on India Today.

CITU state committee member S. Krishnamoorthy inaugurated the protest, with union leaders P.M. Sona, K.P. Sushil Kumar, N. Sanil Babu, and S.S. Anil addressing employees, reported First Post. The following day, workers staged a symbolic beef feast within the bank premises as a mark of cultural assertion and solidarity.

'Beef Festival' Gains Political Backing 

The protest drew political backing, most notably from Left-backed independent MLA KT Jaleel, who lauded the employees for resisting what he described as attempts to impose Sangh Parivar agendas in Kerala. In a post on Facebook, Jaleel said, "It is not up to the superior officers to decide what to wear, what to eat, what to think. No scandal of Sanghis will happen in Kerala. The soil is red. The heart colour of this land is red. No one will do anything to you. Because when the communists are in company, the comrades will not allow anyone to raise the saffron flag and disturb the people."

Kerala has a history of beef-related protests, including those triggered by the Centre’s 2017 directive restricting cattle slaughter. In the state, beef carries cultural and economic weight, embraced across communities and reinforced by centuries of trade influences and migration patterns that made it both affordable and widely accepted.