The worst kind of politics is brewing in our country and a new caste hierarchy is trying to be created. We talk of equality- we swear by equality through our constitution, but in reality, we love creating a pyramid. The vegetarians are on the top- they look down on those who eat meat and fish. And the 'dirtiest' are the ones who eat beef, right at the bottom of this pyramid.
The distancing from the 'dirty meat eaters' started with separate vessels. The justification came to be accepted that how could the 'pure' eat from the same utensils as these 'dirty' meat eaters.
From there, denying houses to those who eat meat was justified. How could those who are 'pure' live with those who eat meat! No matter if the meat eaters cook their meals and consume it within the confines of their houses.
And now Dadri shows us that it is even okay to kill those who eat meat. How can these 'dirty' people be allowed to live!
That the underlying current to this madness of looking down on meat eaters has a communal shade is obvious. Meat is now 'legitimately' used as a reason to exclude 'those sinners ' from 'us' the pure. Such is the intolerance from those who advocate vegetarianism for 'ahimsa' under the roof of Hinduism, that there are death threats against those who have spent their lives studying Indian mythology and denounce that 'Hinduism' was a 'pure vegetarian' religion. There are violent protests against those that show us that meat and beef in particular was always a part of the Indian diet even before the advent of Islam or Christianity.
The promoters of vegetarian on the basis of Hinduism, refuse to look at our own books, our great treasures, that teach us that in the Ramayana, Lord Rama ate the flesh of the deer he hunted. He was a Kshatriya and they ate meat.
The story in which Krishna provided the animals for his cousin Neminatha's wedding is not accepted. That the Mahabharta talks about meat sacrifice, beef and cow included to keep the ancestors happy, is omitted.
Those who want 'beef' banned never talk about goddess Durga who drinks blood and buffaloes that are sacrificed for her.
Shiva the greatest Yogi is a meat eater but why go into those details. It doesn't matter that he lived in the icy mountains of Kailash where no vegetation grew.
The fishing community, the Kohlis, who place Gauri along with Ganesha and offer her (not ganesha) their finest catch of cooked fish, prawns and crabs is not propagated.
Shirdi Sai Baba cooked rice and meat with his own hands and served the poor is a subject never to be taken up.
Conveniently the meanings of verses are changed to deny that the Veda's spoke of beef sacrifice and deliberately lines that show god Indra and Agni enjoyed beef are misinterpreted.
Today the basic human need to eat food has become more political than ever. And politicians in the business of promoting a 'secure' culture for animals through banning meat consumption are very comfortable that the families of those selling meat for generations will have an 'insecure' future.
Those advocating vegetarianism under the garb of 'morality' and 'religion' are very comfortable in rabble rousing a mob from a temple against an innocent peaceful old man whose son serves the nation through the Air Force.
Those who talk of animal rights with context to their own religious beliefs are very comfortable in taking away the rights of another human being with regards to their religion.
The atmosphere being created in India is terrifying. Those indulging in this politics of hate are making up excuses for excluding people, even justifying attacking them. They are not content following their own dietary choices but under the garb of 'nationalism' are trying to impose their choice on others.
In all this madness let us all take a moment to reflect about a man who believed in animal rights, the superiority of his race and rode to power talking extensively about restoring the pride and glorious 'pure' past of his country and race. He is the world's most known vegetarian - Adolf Hitler.
(Tehseen Poonawalla @tehseenp is a student of mythology, political commentator and entrepreneur. Views expressed here are his personal and not that of CNN-IBN or ibnlive.com. We also welcome counter view.)
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