BLUNT BUTCHER / ANCHOR
All constitutional experts in general and Indians in particular need to be watchful because the shortage of Tundey Kebabs has brought the very existence of Indian state in danger! Go by the statements of many leaders, the shortage of Tundey Kebabs, considered a delicacy in Lucknow, has the power to disturb the democratic set up and secular character of the country.
You will find no country in the world where such types of statements are issued and where majority of people in hundreds of millions are vegetarians. But who will care for those millions because they form the majority of the population. Indian democracy has unfortunately been doctored now entirely of the minority susceptibilities. This was preciously the reason the recent elections in Uttar Pradesh were fought on the basis of minority calculations and media too played to the galleries. This has not helped millions of people from minority community a great deal. Rather this false posturing on the part of the Opposition has resulted in silent majority consolidation which has resulted into the unprecedented victory for BJP in these elections. But who will care a hoot. Old habits die hard. It was funny in the extreme when spokespersons of the non BJP parties spoke animatedly over the perils of Tundey Kebab shortage in Lucknow. Everybody knows that this Kebab is mostly derived from beef and the clamp down of the illegal abattoirs in the state has resulted in meat shortage which in turn affected Tundey Kebabs too. In simple terms, if we go by the statements of these leaders Tundey Kebabs were being made in thousands with the meat which was supplied from illegal slaughter houses.
The decision of the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to close down illegal slaughter houses has not been received well by Tundey Kebab eaters. First of all, Yogi has not done something which could surprise anybody. He was simply fulfilling a poll promise and to do so is not in the DNA of the pusillanimous Opposition especially when it is not only related to the law but also to the sensibilities of the majority community. There are hundreds of unlawfull slaughterhouses in the state which were allowed to run by the previous government because they did not want to disturb a carefully nurtured vote bank even though it meant dereliction of duty. But who cares for duty, political calculations matter most and here all the political parties are probably on the same page. Happily for the new Chief Minister, the more the opposition to the clamp down on the illegal slaughter houses the more benefit he will derive from millions of people who are watching the events and political rant on the other side of the fence. The Green Tribunal had two years ago given a go ahead signal for the then government to close down these illegal meat factories. But who would act on the directions of the Green Tribunal when the state government was busy on appeasement that too against the law of the land. Wonder, why we call such men as lawmakers instead to the contrary. Today what we are seeing in UP is an orchestrated protest which is silently backed by the Opposition which is still smarting under an unprecedented defeat meted out to them at the hands of BJP.
Another contentious issue being raised today is pertaining to cow slaughter. Here it is very important to visit the history so that issues relating to it come to light. Very few people remember as of now that it was the then Utter Pradesh Congress Chief Minister Dr Samuranand who banned slaughter of cows in the state in 1955. He had taken this action soon after Gobind Ballab Pant had been made a Union Minister. Drawing inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Pushottam Das Tandon and Madan Mohan Malviya, he implemented the recommendations of two committees, one of which was set up in 1948 and another the Nanda Committee, set up in 1954. But today Congress is fighting whole hog against the matter and seems to be badly hurt by the shortage of Tundey Kebabs.
The writ of law should be allowed to prevail in the country and if there is any injustice that ought to be removed. The sentiments of majority are also to be taken into consideration. Never have we seen any such widespread agitation by the Opposition when pulses, milk, cheese or pork is in shortage. Congress, SP and BSP are harping on a non-issue especially when the butchers are being asked to get licenses to run slaughter houses legally. In this atmosphere of protest din and unreason those who raise such issues must not lose sight of the fact that Tundey Kebab shortages will not destroy this country. This country does not run on Kebabs or Biryanis only but on the thousands of years old culture whose basic tenet is non -violence and vegetarianism. Will anybody tell these protagonists of Tundey Kebabs that red meat is not good for their health? Thus it is high time to find better ways to live and saner issues to protest for.
