Paryushan Not - so- Meaty ?

           The no meat sale issue during paryushan issue has finally subsided. And media, particularly political analysts are busy gauging who gained or lost what and how much in the resultant fiasco. But as a commoner it raises too many questions in my mind. As a secular socialist state that ensures recognizing every strata of society and to ensure their all around development while taking special efforts to safeguard their identities, especially the minorities, is it not unfair that we should be preoccupied with safeguarding the interests of just one community that not only happens to be a minority but also the second largest majority especially when there are other minorities too – Buddhists, Jains, Jews, Sikhs, Anglo-Indians and Parsis. On one hand we have done everything from subsidizing Haj Pilgrimage to declaring the Prophets Birthday a national holiday to appease the Muslim minority and at times have gone to bizarre ends by distorting history and eating words solely for minority appeasement. But what have the other minorities got? Forget about privileges not a single political party has ensured that they get proper representation atleast within the party if not in national politics. So why should there be so much of hullabaloo over eight days ban on meat during the Jain month of Paryushan in areas where there is Jain majority? Surprisingly, those defying the ban are themselves observing the Holy month of Shravan and many will continue to abstain from non vegetarianism and even garlic and onion consumption for three more months (Chaturmas or four months period Shravan, Bhadrapad, Katik and Magh). So how does one explain their defiance? Time and again issues as these remind me of a Satyajit Rays only Hindi classic – ‘Shatranj Ke Khiladi’ a bitter criticism of Indian psyche of indulging in petty politics even in the hour of national disasters and crisis. On one hand Indian defense personnel are facing a problem of increasing unprovoked firing from across the borders and infiltrations with a result that day in and day out there’s a news of martyrdom tucked in some remote corners of dailies but what occupies the centre stage is religious and regional discrimination and related violence issues. And that’s sad! Really sad! In days wherein on one hand we face a looming danger of terrorism from across the borders that’s gunning down our men in uniforms on one hand and the drought that’s coaxing farmers to taking extreme steps like suicides and abandoning children it’s not only pathetic but actually ridiculous that political leaders across the country should show immaturity and actually set up stalls and sell chicken on roads when they should be burying their differences and coming on common platform in the wake of national crisis and work towards an effective solution.

                                                               - Bhushan Kumarsen Sarmalkar, Mumbai, 19.09.2015.