Cow politics is going to the dogs in Bengal
People who are being loud seem to have gotten their birds and bees concept wrong. Someone has actually said it — peacock merits to be a national bird because it is celibate (brahmachari), doesn’t enjoy sex and its teardrop is potent enough to impregnate a peahen.
And then there was someone who suggested that cow should be made a national animal because milk and ghee are like amrit (heavenly nectar). I’ve also heard that cow urine is being prescribed as the latest antidote to all illness, ageing, carcinoma and even in helping one absolve oneself of all sins. All kinds of theories are in the air.
Amid such inanities, someone from Bengal has suggested that love and concern for cows and buffaloes shouldn’t stop at banning beef meat. It needs to extend beyond, into ensuring some basic rights for the cows.
The cows’ first right is to offer their milk to their calves. “Why are we drinking cow’s milk? Is it not for its calves? Then one day you will ban cow milk” — the simple question has rattled many who were philosophising the need to protect the cows.
The question was raised by Mamata Banerjee at a rally in the outskirts of the city. She was trying to explain how thin and fragile the logic behind trying to crane one’s neck into what people should eat and wear was. Or in other words, into an individual’s fundamental rights.
“I prefer being a vegetarian, but why should I dictate what other people should eat. Come to think of it, are we not killing life when we pluck vegetables, fruits or paddy grains? What about the poultry animals and eggs we are eating? Everything has life,” she argued.
Apparently comical, but what she, in her trademark style — half-jocular-half-serious, half-convinced and half-convincing tone — was trying to get at was that such weird thinking takes us nowhere. Except for turning the ecological balance topsy-turvy.
Of late, Mamata has been talking about her food preferences. She is mostly a vegetarian, she says. This was after a few Sevaits of Puri’s Jagannath temple questioned why she, who stands by beef eaters, should be allowed to enter the temple.
Apprehending such aspersions might have roots in religion-based polarisation, courtesy the Hindu fundamentalists, she is rattling about what she eats and her simple lifestyle, which begins with surya namaskar and gayatri mantra.
Amid all this cacophony, keeping the Centre’s ban on sale of animals for slaughter in perspective, the Cow Protection Cell of RSS in Bengal has announced June 10 as Milk Day in the city. The unit will distribute 200 litres of milk to people.
“Milk helps in development of body and mind. We’ll campaign in favour of milk and how it will make people conscious of their duty in protecting cows,” said unit president Subrata Gupta. Realising that the attack on one’s food habit, regardless of which community he/she belongs to will not cook up a big opportunity in polarising Hindu votes in Bengal, the BJP has already started to dilute its stand.
BJP national secretary and UP health minister, Siddharth Nath Singh, said that local trade being a state subject, Mamata was free to form her own rules on cow trade.
The state BJP president Dilip Ghosh, who was looking to give a communal spin to Mamata’s open challenge of defiance to the Centre’s order, had to swallow his words when Union finance minister Arun Jaitley assured that the Centre’s notification will not be binding on state legislation.
Ghosh tried to play on Mamata’s delayed response on the ban on sale of cattle as a sign of fear, a calculative delay to measure out her losses and gains vis-à-vis her vote-bank. “Why did she take time to react on the Centre’s order? She has seen the sentiment of people on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti,” Ghosh added.
Siddharth Nath Singh also felt that by questioning the timing of the order — during Ramzan — Mamata was also playing the communal card.
Competition is fierce between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. While the RSS is going ahead with its “milk day”, it’s to be seen what the other is offering.
Going by the huge excise collection over the last few years, someone quipped — “Chilled beer”. Fine, but no reckless driving.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)