This high-steak game could land you in jail

The president has given her approval for Madhya Pradesh’s anti-cow slaughter legislation after a delay of almost two years. Not just slaughter, even consumption of beef can land you in jail for seven years.
It also has provisions allowing a whole range of officials beginning at head constable to barge in anywhere and conduct checks on mere grounds of suspicion.
Cow slaughter is one topic that has been the centre of heated debates and disputes over it have led to innumerable communal clashes across the country but not a single government, Central or State, has been able to come up with an amicable solution.
Such legislations’ implications don’t stop at socio-religious spheres but spill over into guidelines on state policy that defines the right of an individual.
Ours is a country where there are thousands of castes, sub-castes and communities — each with its own culture, tradition and way of life. One sweeping law like that is a blunt statement to those in the minority to let go of all that and be in ‘conformity’ with what’s ‘acceptable’.
For many communities, beef is very much a part of their regular diet and a cheap supply of essential proteins. Beef dishes are part of ceremonies ranging from birth to death. It would be gross injustice to force them to abandon their culture using legal coersion.
What about the Northeastern states or a State such as Kerala, where beef is a delicacy popular among all communities? Who will protect the rights of millions of Hindus spread across the country who eat beef?
Now imagine a scenario where two of the biggest minorities were to declare onion as sacred to their faith. Will the governments introduce laws to prohibit farming, sale, transportation and consumption of onions because it would hurt the religious sensitivities of the minorities?
The essence of a functional democracy is presence of an environment of tolerance where every segment can enjoy their unique way of life without being arm-twisted to fit into a larger picture.
If a plural country like ours can’t ensure their rights, how different are we from countries where rape victims are stoned to death because they did not follow the lifestyle demanded by the majority religion?
For a country to progress the people have to feel motivated and for that they need to feel that they are valued for what they are. If not, the feeling of alienation would creep in and the social, economic and political cost would be too much to bear.
The harassment and humiliation people from Northeast face all over India, with hardly any help coming from the police or the otherwise vigilant civil society, because of their ‘different’ lifestyle has left scars that reservations and economic packages can’t heal.
When Indians are targeted abroad in racially motivated attacks there is an outrage across the country. Media, civil society and politicians compete to outdo each other in pointing out the stark contrast between our ‘tolerant’ heritage and the narrow-minded West. Next time your blood boils at the news of racial abuse of Indians, think of what we are doing to our people in our country.
A possible solution doesn’t require rocket science to arrive at. It’s called the policy of ‘live and let live’.