From
Beef parties and the celebration of
violence
By
Nithin Sridhar
(http://nithinsridhar.blogspot.in/
)
In the last few months, the discourse on ‘beef’ has
been much talked about and highlighted. Politicians, journalists, activists,
and intellectuals have repeatedly stressed their ‘Right’ to eat whatever food
they desire. Massive outrage and beef parties have been organized to protest
against the regressive attitude of Hindutva forces that they perceive as being
a threat to India’s liberalism.
Protest by Kerala’s MPs over police inspection of
the Kerala House in New Delhi after getting complaints about cow-meat being
served there, was one such incident of outrage. Beef
parties were also arranged by political outfits in Kolkata to protest
against the inspection.
Previously a lawmaker in Kashmir had organized a
beef party to protest against the beef ban in Jammu and Kashmir. After the
ghastly Dadri Lynching incident over rumors about beef, numerous beef parties
have been arranged to protest against the lynching. One
such party was organized in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, where Hindus
and Muslims equally consumed beef in protest. Last
week, a group of poets, theatre artists, NGO’s, etc. took to the
street and organized beef party to protest against growing intolerance across
the country!
There is nothing wrong per se in people choosing to
eat food of their choice including beef. But, when a particular choice of food is used to make a
socio-political statement, when it is used to uphold alien ethos and degrade
native cultural values, then, it becomes vital that such a political agenda is
exposed.
The very concept
of a party organized to celebrate ‘consumption of beef’ is not only offensive
to the cultural values of Indians, it is an outright celebration of ‘Violence’.
Indian culture is
deeply rooted in the concept of ‘Ahimsa’ (Non-injury) as it
considers plants, animals, and all life as a manifestation of divinity.
It makes no distinction between secular and sacred. Instead, it perceives even
the secular elements as having a sacred basis. Thus, no plant, no animal is
considered inferior to humans, nor do humans own their lives.
This recognition of the universal presence of the
Divine force has evolved into the concept of Non-injury, wherein a stronger
does not exploit the weaker, instead recognizes the rights of weaker to exist.
Though, absolute non-injury is not possible in practice, Ahimsa is
still the ideal that people should continuously thrive to attain. Thus, any
party or gathering that celebrates the murder of an animal for the sake of
taste and politics goes against the ethos ofAhimsa.
The question is, why should a protest against communal violence (even if
the violence happened over rumor about beef) include consumption of beef?
Are there no other ways of protest? What happened to candle light marches,
which is otherwise a favorite means adopted by liberals?
The reality is that, the parties are actually not
aimed at protesting against communal violence, or against the government’s
attempts at curtailing the freedom to eat. These are all only excuses, only
props that are being used. The
real target is Sanatana Dharma which is the very
foundation of Indian ethos and way of life.
There was outrage among Indian liberals
when buffalos were sacrificed in Nepal during a Hindu ceremony.
Liberals had become animal rights activists and Hindu religion was slammed for
its violence. Yet, these same liberals oppose
cow-protection and celebrate beef parties. Where is the concern for animal
rights now?
The Cows which are very calm, loving, and innocent
by nature, must be the most unlucky animal among all animals across the world.
They are at least unlucky in India. No animal rights activists, no liberals
want to take up their issue, because unfortunately they have been associated
with Hindu religion.
Every person who takes up the cause of
cow-protection is slammed as a Hindutva activist, a political worker, etc. For
example Prashanth Poojary. Many people who otherwise support animal rights and
protest against killing of, say dogs, have no sympathy for cows.
Arguments after arguments are made about why cows
must be killed and eaten and not protected. Typical arguments include, cow
population is increasing very fast, maintaining cows will be economic burden,
people are starving on streets so why waste money over Goshalas,
etc.
This current
liberal attitude towards animals in general and cows in particular is deeply
rooted in a colonial education system that is still being practiced in India.
The British, as part of their strategy to civilize Indians, successively
dismantled Indian education system rooted in Indian ethos and replaced it by
British education system built upon European, especially the Christian world
view.
Thus, animals
were no longer perceived as a manifestation of the divine. Instead, it was
taught that, animals have been born so that they can be slaughtered, eaten, and
their body parts used for various human luxuries. The Humans were
no longer perceived as being connected to the nature through a divine bond.
Instead, it was taught that, humans are the masters who can unscrupulously
exploit everything available in nature for fulfilling one’s own
perversions.
The concept of Ahimsa (non-injury), Dama (self-control),
and Daya(compassion) were completely replaced by violence,
uncontrolled desire, and indifference. The British had
a special loathing towards the Hindu veneration of cows, because they not only
perceived cows as a stumbling block to their attempts of civilizing Indians to
adopt Christian values, but the cows were also one of their chief source of
food.
It is this colonial education that has today
manifested in the form of beef parties. The parties reveal a mindset that believes in human
superiority and justifies human violence towards animals.
By celebrating ‘beef parties’ which are
nothing but acts of violence committed against innocent cows, the
liberals have once again made a political statement that in the liberal
discourse, Hindus have no human rights and similarly, cows which are deeply
associated with Hinduism have no animal right as well.
It is high time
that, Indians renounce this colonial outlook and reclaim their native cultural
ethos rooted in Ahimsa and Daya.
Today, people have become highly ingratitude and selfish in nature. They use
and exploit cows for their milk, but then send them away into slaughterhouses
once the cows stop producing milk. This culture of violence, exploitation, and
ingratitude must be renounced.
In the past, when rural society was predominant,
almost every family used to own cows and bulls and they used to take good care
of them. Cows and bulls were also the backbone of Indian economy.
Today in this highly urbanized scenario, things have
greatly changed. But, changed times does not mean, people cannot return back to
their own cultural values. Further, the role of cow in the economy and
agriculture has not reduced. Cow milk is still a major source of
nutrition.
Though every family may not be able to own a cow,
they can at least feed cows that hungrily roam on the streets. Every family may
not be able to individually do much to help cows, but people living in a
locality or a housing society may build a cow-shelter (goshala) for the
cows present in their area.
Many other measures at a larger scale may be slowly
evolved that would not only protect the cows, but also will make it
economically viable. A simple change in the mindset can go a long way in
finding solutions to complex problems. In this case, all that is needed to begin with is the abandonment of
the mindset rooted in celebration of violence and reclaiming of the Indian
ethos rooted in Ahimsa (Non-injury) and Daya (Compassion).
1 comment:
Eye opening and so insightful post.
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