Thursday, October 2, 2008

Losing the Essence

Eid is the day when Muslims across the world break their month long fast with grand meals and celebrations. Meat is an integral part of the Eid meals. India has mandated that it would mark the day of birth of the 'Father of the Nation' by banning the sale of meat and liquor on his birthday. What happens when Eid and Gandhi Jayanti fall on the same date?

Some of the butchers broke the meat-ban by putting meat up on sale to meet the demand generated by Eid. Political parties resorted to violence and attacked these shops in an effort to make a political statement. It is all over the local news right now.

What is lost in all this commotion, is the essence of Gandhian principles. Gandhi advocated Vegetarianism but never forced it on anyone. I would imagine that the principle of non-violence was a lot more important to Gandhi than vegetarianism. The political parties have managed to hold up the rule but in the process, they defeated the whole purpose behind it. We have lost the gandhian principles in an effort to hold them up.

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