Political interference in profession, eating habits dangerous

Political interference in profession, eating habits dangerous

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    Reporters Name | CAMIL PARKHE | Sunday, 28 August 2016 AT 09:39 AM IST

Sakal Times

One of the first major policy decisions implemented by the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance soon after forming the government in 2014 was to exhume the 19-year-old pending bill on the ban on the slaughter of cow and her progeny and secure the President’s approval for it. Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who along with other BJP leaders had followed the Bill to its logical end, had then claimed that there is nothing communal about the ban. Soon after this bill became a law, there was a spurt in violent incidents related to the alleged eating or possession of beef in the country. The dubious credit for bringing the cow or beef issue at the Centre of nationwide controversy, therefore, should go to the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra.

Subsequently, tension over the issue of cattle slaughter or beef possession kept building all over the country. This led to the lynching of a man belonging to a minority community at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh after it was suspected that he possessed cow meat. The recent flogging of a group of Dalit youths with iron rods on suspicion of their involvement in cow slaughter at Una village in Gujarat has led to a nationwide uproar, forcing prime minister Narendra Modi to break his long silence on this sensitive issue. The Una incident has led to an unprecedented unity among the Dalits all over the country and at some places, members of this community have even resolved henceforth not to perform their traditional despicable jobs.

The present anger of the upper caste Hindus against the Dalits apparently can be attributed to the works and lifestyle of the latter. For centuries, the Dalits have been performing their traditional jobs, not because of their own volition but because these jobs have been thrust upon them. The Dalits are very much part of the Hindu society, they are also part of the Hindu Chaturvarna system prevalent in the country for centuries. In keeping with the restrictions imposed on their movements among the higher caste, they resided outside the village boundary, entered the village only to carry out the tasks assigned to them, which included removing the carcass of the cattle, skinning the dead cattle etc. As the Dalits often faced starvation, many of them also ate the meat of the dead cattle.

It cannot be denied that the Dalits have been skinning the dead cattle, eating beef and are involved in the business for tanning the cattle hide. These facts have been documented in our classical epics, the Puranas and also modern historical documents. The traditional professions and lifestyle of the Dalits have not been hitherto secret or unknown to other members of the society. Their carrying out the traditional jobs also served the interest of the whole community and although their eating habits and these traditional jobs were despicable, the society on the whole never objected to them.

It is indeed sad that some sections within the society have now suddenly discovered that the eating habits or the traditional jobs of the Dalits are not in keeping with the Indian or Hindu culture and therefore these need to be prevented. As a result, the Dalits, along with the Muslims, are being singled out for attacks for their involvement in skinning the dead cattle or other activities in the cattle trade business. The perpetrators of these attacks have not taken into consideration that the Hindu society is a diverse community having members with diverse eating habits, beliefs, traditions, and professions. The ongoing campaign by the Gau rakshaks fails to appreciate this and thus Dalits are made to look as totally alien to the Hindu culture. It is time the cow vigilantes realise that the Dalits, their lifestyle, and professions are very much part of the Hindu culture. Instead of flogging them or targeting them in any other manner, efforts should be made to uplift these underprivileged sections of society and make them feel part of the society.

Targeting eating habits and jobs
It is indeed sad that some sections within society have now suddenly discovered that eating habits or the traditional jobs of the Dalits are not in keeping with the Indian or Hindu culture and therefore these need to be prevented. Dalits, along with the Muslims, are being singled out for attacks for their involvement in skinning the dead cattle or other activities in the cattle trade business. The perpetrators of these attacks have not taken into consideration that the Hindu society is a diverse community having members with diverse eating habits, beliefs, traditions, and professions.