Modi must take a stand for minorities

It was utterly inhumane to murder a man for eating beef as recently reported in Dadri, India. The incident that occurred on the outskirts of Delhi has all the ingredients that points to the growing intolerance towards minority groups by Hindu nationalists.

The Modi government has maintained a meaningful silence until an announcement came out about asking everyone to maintain communal harmony, yet there was never any condemnation against the cruel mob lynching nor any mention about the unfortunate victim.

It is sad that the state of affairs in India is taking a new course after the BJP government, whose agenda has become too obvious, to turn the nation into unaccommodating unilateral governing structure with no room for secularism. The call for banning beef, thus is a beginning that would eventually go into the government dictating what an individual should cook in their kitchen and eat in their homes.

Now, the beef issue has marred the image of Modi so badly for the first time since he assumed power. Conversely, many universities in Kerala organised beef festivals as a mark of protest against the nationalist’s agenda to ban what many consider an ancient delicacy in the Indian household. There has been a lot of debates on the historical accuracy of banning cow meat as dictated by Hinduism. However, to slaughter cows indiscriminately just to make a point by eating its meat was done in bad taste.

If the majority thinks that vegetarianism as an ideal should be promoted, then there are better ways to promote it, and in a civilised and peaceful manner than choosing to kill those who don’t oblige. It is a misconception that saffron clad hardliners are doing any favour to their religion by indiscriminately suppressing the minorities’ way of life.

Our constitution is built on democratic values and secular ideals has granted such rights and privileges to minority sections and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that no group should take the law into their own hands. Rhetoric is the last thing that people would like to hear, rather concrete measures to stop the recurrence of cruelty against minorities are needed.

— The reader is an Indian business development coordinator based in Dubai.