We condemn the beef divide created by the right wing Hindutwa in India. In a society where a large number of people are struggling to have decent food at least once in a day, banning (directly or indirectly) a commonly available food is exposing the mask of this ruling government of India. Instead of dictating about the kinds of food that people can take, the government is expected to ensure minimum nutritional food required for people. Common man does not have an expensive menu card in their kitchen. They do not have the luxury of choosing from many dishes as like as privileged ones like you. Instead of dictating their food habits, let them eat whatever available to them. More than fifteen crores of people India do not have access to minimum food according to official records; not nutritional diets but not even any food.
We are not talking about SUPERPOWER INDIA but about real India. When the Prime Minister of India along with other ‘Elites’ proud about launching of G-SAT 19 with indigenously developed GSLV Mk III, that same day around 7000 people died due to hunger in our nation itself. Beef ban in such a nation due to religious reasons is nothing but communal act. Equally absurd is the claim that ‘cow is a Hindu animal’. It is shocking to know that animals, birds and others have religion. Treating cow as holy animal by Hindus is not the same as treating cow as Hindu. Cow is cow only. It is an animal. Those who want to worship it, but imposing that on others is barbarian.
Pehlu Khan, Mohd Akhlaque,……. we have a long list of victims of this hate campaign. We cannot forget the political background where beef festivals organized in university campuses. That does not mean that we stand for killing animals in a barbarian manner. We stand for animal rights as equally as human rights. Non-vegetarianism is not against animal rights. Beef is as like as mutton, chicken, pork or fish. Cow is neither a protected nor an extinct animal here. Imposing non-beef diet is the tool to end diversified Hindu tradition in order to create a new mono-cultured religio-political structure called Hindutwa. Hindutwa deny all alternative readings of Hindu tradition and claims that it is the true voice of it. All opportunistic and power hungry monks, heads of monasteries, community leaders, NGO, private enterprenuers and others will join the league. Any criticism and questions will be replied in a language of exaggeration, illogical and aggressive.
Religious sentiments of one community (whether majority or minority) imposed on others is nothing but communalism and when state is authorizing it become fascism. In a country where majority are non-vegetarian and among them a sizable number is eating beef, claiming vegetarianism (and hindutwa) as national tradition is absurd, if not stupidity, only. Fascism cannot go with secularism and democracy hence invalidating both is becoming fascists’ main agenda. Only that community which equally treats religious freedom, religious criticism, religious reforms and dissent, can keep fascism away. Fascism divides, discriminates, insults and marginalize the weak irrespective of their caste, gender, language, land or ethnicity.
Sandhya SN & JT Jayasingh
Chief Editors, Indian Ruminations
