Note: You may get offended if you read this article with a devout mindset instead of an objectively built conscience.
Presently in India, it is not the law of the land but the sensitivities of religion that dictate the working of several states. Recently, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor, Mukkesh Suryaan, issued a directive to shut meat shops during the 9-day festival of Navratri.
The mayor believes those who fast on Navratri feel disgruntled upon seeing or smelling meat sold in the markets. Here’s the official order:
The SDMC is run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it won the MCD elections in 2017 (Just FYI, no targeting, believe me.)
What is Navratri?
Speaking plainly, Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival that occurs 4 times a year in four different forms, Sharada Navratri, Chaitra Navratri, Magha Navratri, and Ashada Navratri. During the nine days of celebration, people undertake fasting and worship 9 Indian Goddesses as part of the ritual.
The order issued by the South Delhi Mayor pertains to the presently ongoing Chaitra Navratri, supposed to end on 11th April 2022.
No doubt, the religious sentiments of every community should be respected and protected by one and all. However, tinkering with the freedom and liberty of others who do not celebrate the festival is tantamount to posing limitations on their fundamental rights.
That’s why I say these days it is more about religious obligations than the law of the land. Apart from the general public’s freedom to eat meat, such an order also kills the right to do business of those who sell meat.
(Seriously, this is not about animal cruelty. We may discuss it later in another blog if that’s where you are going to target me)
Since we have a ban on Meat Shops during the ongoing festival, here’s what the BJP led agencies can do to further the agenda of keeping religious sentiments in check.
Shut the Water Supply
Various individuals do not even drink water during Navratri (not for nine days, obviously), and if they see anyone gulping, they might feel disgusted about it, going by the theory of our MCD Mayor. Therefore, MCD or any other department must quickly ban drinking water or any other liquid before things go out of hand.
In fact, how about a ban on food since the majority of people fast for nine days during Navratri without even a slice of food? We can also try shutting down corporations like Zomato and Swiggy that promise to deliver food to people’s houses.
I will give you another option, ban all the medicines comprising fish oil or ingredients derived from animal bones.
Impose Lockdown During Solar Eclipse
Whenever there’s a solar eclipse in India, we are told by various news reports or astrologists (maybe, religious experts) that getting exposed to such an event would lead to evil impacts.
The agencies might want to impose a nationwide lockdown, just like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep in check the religious beliefs and save people from the devil.
I strongly recommend doing this because freedom and liberty are just two words, after all, in several parts of the country world.
Ban Breathing on Diwali
Now, this is really important to look after. But before indulging in it, let me give you a brief background. The Indian Supreme Court has banned the use of firecrackers in general parlance but, specifically, during the festival of Diwali or Deepawali to contain air pollution.
However, people are averse to it because such an order snatches their freedom to celebrate Diwali entirely.
What they do is promote bursting crackers on social media and ask their counterparts to join them in burning crackers celebrating the festival. They make sure the already high levels of air pollution become even more dangerous.
In such a case, the agencies can do one thing (since they cannot implement the SC orders): they can put a ban on breathing for those who are finding it tough to survive. After all, you have got to shut one side of the debate.
Make Holy Dip Compulsory for all During Chhath Pooja
Chhath Pooja is a festival majorly celebrated in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. There are many rituals involved in it, but the most important is taking a holy bath in a ‘Ghat’ (small river).
Strangely, the agencies don’t need to shut anything to secure the rights of worshippers. They can rather make it mandatory for every citizen of India to take a holy dip in a nearby ‘Ghat’. This way, we can also overcome the laziness of those who bathe once a week (no, that’s not me).
Also, we can save water since everyone would be using a natural reservoir and not tap water. Didn’t I tell you I would help the agencies take down multiple targets in one go?
Are you thinking many don’t celebrate Chhath? That’s a hidden answer to the main subject of this blog.
Shut Poor People out of their House on Dhanteras
Dhanteras is a festival that precedes Diwali. In fact, it marks the arrival of Diwali and is celebrated to worship Lord Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of medicine. An interesting ritual of this festival is that people should purchase precious items like gold or silver and utensils, especially kitchenware.
Given the widespread poverty in India, there is no doubt that not everyone can purchase gold or silver. Therefore, considering this might hurt religious sentiments, agencies may want to shut abject individuals or families out of their houses and let them enter inside only after they have purchased the precious metals.
Are you asking what about their personal liberty? Think about it yourself; individual liberty is a thing of the past, no?
Ban the Clouds on Karva Chauth
This is extremely necessary, and many women have been imagining such a prospect for ages. Karva Chauth is another festival in India related to fasting. However, women fast for their husbands and they can only eat after seeing the moon.
If a woman cannot see the moon, owing to overcast conditions, she cannot grab a bite. Therefore, agencies need to urgently step in, especially the SDMC, to draft an application to ISRO or even NASA for a technology that could help keep clouds away for one night.
There’s a massive chance of India becoming a superpower if we can achieve this, and I am sure we will, given the ability of our current leadership.
What? You have doubts if this is even possible? Dude, beliefs are to be protected at any cost, even at the cost of logic.
Shut Shops not Selling Butter on Janmashtami
I have been fascinated with Janmashtami since childhood. It is a colorful, joyous, and sweet festival celebrated on the birthday of Lord Krishna, who was the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. As a child, Krishna loved butter, and he would empty several pots in no time. Being a naughty kid, he would steal butter from his neighborhood and pounce over it.
The significance of butter in Janmashtami is immense in Indian folklore, and people especially stay awake till midnight on the night of the festival to eat butter, considering it auspicious.
A prevalent problem is that it is tough to find butter as Janmashtami nears because of the enormous demand. This must hurt the sentiments of people, according to SDMC’s logic. Now, what agencies can do is ban shops that cannot maintain a robust stock of butter for at least a week leading to Janmashtami.
No, please don’t ask for demand and supply rhetoric; we are way past it!!
Leave a Reply