By TCN Special Correspondent,
With the next assembly elections drawing nearer, cow seems to have become a `political tool’ in Gujarat.
But the development in the last seven months indicate that BJP’s space as far as use of cow as a political commodity seems to have been completely taken over by the Congress apparently for political gains, without taking into consideration how much communal tension it can generate in a state being used as Hindutva’s laboratory by the BJP to polarize the voters.
Polarisation will certainly go against the interest of the Congress as Chief Minister Narendra Modi is adept in the art of publicity might use the issue to his own advantage. Already, he has spoken at public meetings that if the state Congress is really sincere about the ban on cow slaughter, it should persuade the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre to bring more stringent laws against cow slaughter and ensure its implementation in states where the cow slaughter is still not banned. He hinted at West Bengal, Kerala and North-East states.
The intention of the state Congress party as revealed by their leaders from time to time is to trap Modi and project him as one having failed to check cow slaughter effectively as one of the chief agendas of BJP was to ensure 100 per cent ban on cow slaughter in the state.
Mobilizing Maldhari
In September-October 2011, the Congress party mobilized Maldhari community whose main source of livelihood is animal husbandry and cattle-rearing. The Maldharis had alleged large-scale theft of cows and their illegal slaughter. However, there was no evidence to their claim of cows being slaughtered anywhere in the state. But whenever any mention of slaughter, legal or illegal, is made, the mind immediately goes to the Muslims and they are the only ones being suspected for the alleged `crime’. This ultimately ends up in communal tension which is easily exploited by interested groups. Muslims being in minority and having no sympathizers in the corridors of power, always find themselves at the receiving end in such a situation.
The Congress-backed agitations were held in September-October 2011 all across the state, including at several places in Ahmadabad. As cattle theft, particularly milch cows, is common everywhere in Gujarat because it fetches a good price in the market, it was difficult for the state government to check it completely. One of the reasons was that Maldharis keep their cattle roaming around in the city and on the outskirts, without their owners keeping an eye on their movement. Maldharis do so as the cows get much of its fodder at garbage and rotten vegetable dumps and many Hindu devotees also feed them of stale `rotis’ and food as a religious pious duty in the hope of getting religious merit or what they call `punya’. This also saves the fodder bill of Maldharis. Secondly, it is also very difficult how to decide as to whom the particular cow or the calf belongs because the cattle do not have any registration number like a vehicle, tagged on them. So, in case of a dispute, it is generally the immediate owner who gets the benefit and walks away with the cattle even if it belonged to someone else.
But the situation became very embarrassing for the Modi government as the Maldharis and Congress leaders had roped in some of the religious leaders as well. It also sent a wrong message among the local Hindus with regard to the state BJP government over the issue. To outsmart the Congress, the Modi government amended the anti-cow slaughter law and brought in the Implementation of Gujarat Animal Preservation(Amendment) Bill 2011, increasing the amount of fine and jail terms for slaughter of cows. Maldharis withdrew the agitation.
The Congress also became silent.
The timing of agitation was just a few weeks prior to Baqrid or Eid-ul-Azha celebrated by sacrificing the animals. Though the agitation was withdrawn, tension over the issue not only continued but increased due to approaching Baqrid. Muslims faced lot of trouble due to police becoming extra watchful and Hindu vigilante groups, mostly from VHP and RSS, putting up hurdles at every point. Consequently, many of the Muslims who sacrificed cattle for its affordability as seven people could have sacrificial share in one cattle, could not fulfill their religious obligation due to the prices going very high. Several Muslim NGOs engaged in the service of Qurbani or animal sacrifice for their donors and sympathizers could not do it for non-availability of cattle and the prices of goat and sheep going beyond their reach. The situation became also very difficult in villages; including Mangrol in Junagadh district with 90 per cent Muslim population because police assisted by VHP and RSS activists conducted raids and prevented Muslims from performing Qurbani. The prices of buffalo meat, subsequently, also went up from Rs. 100 kg to Rs. 200 per kg now, making buffalo meat a luxury which was till a few months ago, a very cheap source of protein for the poor.
Communalizing
With 2012 assembly elections approaching some groups like Jains have again become very active. Two Jain Munis are sitting on fast demanding a total ban on slaughter of all animals and consumption of meat within a nine kilometer radius of Palitana, a Jain religious town. The Modi government has already banned the slaughter within two kilometer radius but not willing to extend it further because of Muslims and other non-Hindus also living in sizeable numbers in the areas beyond two kilometer periphery of Palitana.
Three Hindu religious leaders also recently took out three different padyatras(footmarch) from Dwarika, Porbander and Somnath in Saurashtra region of the state in support of the Jain priests’ demand for ban.
However, their `yatras’ did not evince much response from the local Hindu population. But the unexpected support of the Congress and Mahagujarat Janata Party(MJP) seems to have given a boost to the issue that had totally went unnoticed even by the local media. While the support of MJP could be understood as all its leaders, including its president Gordhan Zadaphia, are from VHP and RSS background and were earlier in BJP. They quit the BJP and floated MJP as they could not adjust with Modi’s dictatorial style of functioning. Zadaphia was Gujarat’s home minister during 2002 anti-Muslim riots.
But Congress joining this issue that has a strong potential of degenerating into a communal conflict is beyond the comprehension of common people. But what the political analysts conclude is that the Congress may be trying to use the same religious card which the BJP had in the past used for political mobilization. On the forefront of the issue in the Congress is its senior leader and former deputy chief minister Narhari Amin who has issued statements demanding ban on illegal slaughter houses. But the fact is that cow slaughter is almost nil in the state because of the stringent punishment for it. As far as
the issue of illegal slaughter of other animals like male and female buffaloes is concerned, there is no ban on their slaughter. As for illegal slaughter houses, these have come up because of the unwillingness on the part of the local municipalities to provide enough facilities for slaughter to meet the local demand for meat.
Instead of demanding ban on illegal slaughter, the Congress as a political party concerned about the welfare of all religious groups should have also demanded from the government to give permission for setting up more slaughter houses to meet the increasing requirements. If more slaughter houses are set up either by the local municipalities or the permission is given to butchers to set up their own slaughter places as per existing rules, it would altogether eliminate the possibility of illegal slaughter. But Congress on this issue appears hands-in-glove with BJP. Though state Congress president Arjun Modhwadia is reported to be a very liberal and accommodating leader, he seems to be not being in a position to rein in his colleagues who appear to be overzealous to take up the issues dear to the BJP and saffron forces. The areas falling in state’s Saurashtra zone have been chosen in a very calculated manner for building up communal tension as these areas were almost peace zones and totally free from violence even during 2002 riots. Surprisingly, the Congress in this case seems to be playing in the hands of the same forces who do not want peace and stability in the state.
But Congress must know that playing with religious and emotional issues has never benefitted it politically. It has always backfired on it and greatly harmed it politically. The best example of it is its compromise on Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi issue. Its undue accommodation to BJP and some of the BJP’s sympathizers in the Congress like late Veer Bahadur Singh in UP resulting into opening of the masjid’s locks during Rajiv Gandhi’s prime ministership and PV Narsimha Rao’s alleged connivance with Kalyan Singh finished Congress from UP and other northern states and brought huge political dividends to BJP which was earlier on political margins. Similarly, Congress party’s concessions to BJP over Hubli Idgah ground isue in Karnataka helped BJP to wrest political power from Congress. Congress leaders’ playing with communal issues is also not expected to bring any political dividends to the party in Gujarat also but only help BJP to consolidate its position and perpetuate its rule. Congress is out of political power in the state since 1995. It is for the Congress to decide if it wants to remain continuously out of power or wrest it back from BJP. It they desire the latter option, they need to tread a path to ensure that Gujarat remains free from communal tension as any communal polarization would certainly be not in the interest of the Congress party.