Holy Cow

As it turns out, India’s still deeply fond of its toxic relationship with vigilantism. Mob lynchings have re-emerged as though they were part of routine, in scattered parts of the country. Communal bigotry has always dragged our country down into confused muddle of unproductivity and social exclusion and it unfailingly continues to do so. The recent case in Jharkhand, only reiterates how little we have managed to progress since our independence. Growth of any country cannot be measured narrowly through the lens of its economic achievements, it must encompass a socially smooth functioning society, which accommodates the interests of diverse social groups, and ensures the safeguarding of their rights under the Constitution. A weak police system that repeatedly turns a blind eye towards such communal mishaps, enables certain sections to freely take reins of serving justice, in their own righteous hands. This serves as a strong indicator pointing in the direction of an overall framework which both accepts as well as reinforces intolerance.

All this is not surprising, actually. We still live in an era where Lok Sabha MP’s holding those highly coveted, incredibly powerful positions continue to chant strong symbols of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ in the Parliament, in an unbecoming manner, as pointed by the Speaker of the House (the most important man in the session) himself. Might I request these excited politicians to please make use of more relevant national symbols, such as, oh I don’t know, the Constitution, the next time they attempt to wear their nationalism like an accessory.

You may ask- Who are the people behind these mobs, and why do they continue to do so?To answer, we must understand the context of the problem. The entire system of attaching morality to the consumption of beef dates back to the ban imposed in Maharashtra. It isn’t so much about the friction between two different religions, it remains to be a matter entrenched in the political ideology and the narrow propagandas of interest groups. In this country, jingoism is proving to be as catchy as the phrase of jinga la la, and if ignored, the disease of intolerance shall continue to spread its mighty tentacles, defying the motto of ‘secularism’ stated in bold ,legible font in the Preamble. Propagating intolerance and being ignorant of intolerance are both equal evils that the authorities and the public at large need to address.

If these instances aren’t enough to make you mouth, ‘Holy Cow’, and spur you into action, I doubt anything will.