The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I L B A G

The Jhajjar incident & the cow-Dalit factors

I am perturbed over the lynching of five dalits at Dulina in Jhajjar district on October 15 by a violent mob merely on the suspicion of killing a cow. There should be a sustained campaign to condemn this grusome incident till all the culprits are apprehended and punished for this henious crime against humanity. Media hype is understandable in the cases of Salmans and Sharmas because when they make news, it sells. But it is the moral duty of the media to highlight such gory incidents so that the authorities are not able to hush up the matter. Some political parties espousing the cause of dalits can be accused of playing petty caste politics to gain mileage out of this shameful and unfortunate incident. Still their campaign is valid.

All policemen concerned should be booked for their complicity in the crime. If they had tried to save the holed-up youth, why is it that none of them got injured? All those who took part in the march supporting mob-violence should be booked under POTA. Moreover, the district administration should also be held responsible vicariously.

The incident revolves around two factors — dalits and the cow. There should be no caste-based discrimination against any section of society. Our religious scriptures which preach discrimination on the basis of birth should be amended. The Constitution provisions which consider certain people underprivileged on the caste basis should be amended. Economic status of a person should be the sole criterion for the entitlement to privileges. All people below the poverty line should be considered for special treatment irrespective of their caste.

It is the need of the hour to abolish religious and constitutional creamy layers which cause unrest, resulting in mob fury and other such incidents to bring about equality and harmony among various sections of society.

Now coming to the second factor, the cow, there is a need to divide the cows into two categories. The local or “desi” breed of cow can be awarded the holy status of “Gaumata”, and the Australian and the German breeds of cows which dairy farmers rear for profitability can be termed as ordinary commercial animals. Religious institutions should be entrusted to look after “Gaumata” whereas dairy farmers should be allowed to keep commercial cows only.

In foreign countries where people treat the cow as a commercial commodity only it is provided with all comforts and best of food and is pampered like the public servants of India. Whereas in India only lactating and pregnant cows are looked after properly; barren cows and male calves are disowned and abandoned. They acquire the status of stray cattle. They cause nuisance and destroy crops. They are repeatedly thrashed and sustain injuries. They are condemned to a slow, torturous death in the land where they are worshipped.

In contrast in the western countries they are fortunate on that count also because they are put to a sudden and rather painless death.

JASJIT SINGH, Nilokheri

Workers targeted

The Government move to freeze the D.A., bonus and commutation of pension must be condemned by all workers. Whenever the Government thinks of austerity, it first targets the workers and pensioners. Last year the Government had raised the perks and allowances of M.P.s which are more than what a Senator in the U.S.A. is getting. Every now and then the ministers and M.P.s go for medical treatment and check-up in foreign countries, spending crores of public money.

LALIT CHANDRA, Dharamsala