Concern over intolerance in society was expressed during the last day of the Mumbai LitFest, as the beef ban law was lambasted and ridiculed by journalists and scholars. They also expressed worry about how the Left ideology is diminishing and fringe elements are taking centre stage.
A panel discussion, ‘What’s Your Beef ’— Why has India become more intolerant , was held to throw light on various aspects of the issue. Senior journalists Akshaya Mukul, C.P. Surendran, Avirook Sen and researcher Arshia Sattar voiced their views on the issue.
Narrating her own experience after the Babri mosque demolition, Ms Sattar said that intolerance is more visible in the current scenario. She even lamented the fact that liberals had not protested vociferously then. “The atmosphere after Babri demolition was unforgettable for me... But now it’s worst. People are being killed or losing their jobs not only because they belong to a minority but also because they have a different voice It is unfortunate that we liberals sat back and remained silent then. I feel it’s too late for us to claim that space even,” she said.
Terming intolerance an ‘idiot gene’ that Indians possess, Mr Surendran cited historical examples of how beef eating was once a common practice among Hindus. “Dr (Babasaheb) Ambedkar had said the cow was the symbol of conflict between Brahmins and Dalits. He was correct because Buddha said that violence be stopped when Brahmins were slaughtering animals for food. In 5th century when Hindus reasserted themselves against Buddhism, Brahmins stopped eating animals,” he said.
However, the senior journalist himself was against cow slaughter, reasoning that it was painful to kill animals that had developed nervous system.
Mr Mukul who has recently written a book Gita Press and Making of Hindu India explained how the cow came to be looked upon as a symbol of Hinduism. “According to them, anyone who believes in the cow was a Hindu. Hindu scholars were not consulted in the entire narrative created around the cow. In 1920, the Hindu sentiment took on after the Khilafat movement to counter Muslim ideology,” Mr Mukul said. The journalist also highlighted how the Gita Press had used religion to reach out to the Hindu diaspora.
