IT was indeed very shocking and painful to read the news in Saudi Gazette (Sept. 30) about a mob lynching a man over alleged butchering of a cow in a small village in India. Tragedy would be a smaller word to narrate that ghastly killing and brutal murder of Mohammed Akhlaq. Has the level of insanity and religious intolerance peaked to a level where people are killed for eating meat or beef? The incident has happened in a village, which is barely 150 km away from the national capital, the same place where the gang rape and brutal murder of a college girl, popularly known as 'Nirbhaya' in 2012 had sparked nationwide protest and anger. There may be no similarity between these two incidents, yet, the level of brutality and barbarity was the same. In both cases, the victims were totally innocent. The killing of Akhlaq should have had similar effect and made the people across the country protest and seek justice. Both the state and central governments should have reacted with full force and power to punish the culprits. As the government of that time did in the case of Nirbhaya, the present government should provide top class medical care to Danish, the son of the deceased, who is battling for his life. It was ridiculous on part of the police to have taken the meat for forensic testing. What would that prove and even if it is proved that the mutton was indeed beef, will that exonerate and acquit the guilty or pronounce that Akhlaq deserved death penalty for eating beef. Conversely, if the flesh found was meat of a sheep, will it bring Aklaq back to life as his daughter asked. Are we moving toward a stage where violation of an administrative regulation or undertaking an act that irks certain section of society will warrant death and torture? The leaders of the India's ruling party are shamelessly demanding the release of the culprits who deserve to be handed death sentence for murdering an innocent person. The opposition party including Congress were very benign and soft in expressing their views on the incident. The local media too just reported the incident and did not arrange much of debates and discussions. The country whose very basis is secularism and democracy should never allow the nation to be ruled and administered on the whims and fancies of fundamentalists and bigots. The ban on slaughtering of cows in some Indian states is a different thing than the ban on eating beef. Whilst there is no ban on the latter all over the country, it would be well nigh impossible to demonstrate what one had and its origin. Therefore, they are part of dirty politics and to pacify certain sections of the society. When the architects of the constitution of India did not provide for such bans, where is the wisdom in promulgating laws to this effect now? If this frenzy over eating beef is allowed to continue, the Muslims could also demand ban on rearing and sale of pork in India. Safi H. Jannaty, via email
