In new India even a student’s tiffin box is becoming a subject of controversy merely because the boy’s mother packed non-veg biryani for him to take to school. This incident happened in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh where a 7-year old boy was expelled for bringing non-veg food. In the digital age, the video of the boy’s mother having an altercation with the school principal has gone viral. The video showed the principal making derogatory remarks when the student’s mother questioned the reason for her child’s expulsion on Thursday. As can be expected the boy is a Muslim and this is yet another instance of Islamophobia. While the authorities are said to be investigating the incident it is also common knowledge that in Uttar Pradesh and other North Indian states intolerance for Muslims is par for the course and the new model of showing them their place is to bulldoze their homes on the pretext that they have committed some crime. The bulldozing happens even before the law can decide whether the person is actually guilty of the crime.
In the nearly 4.30 minute video the principal was unrelenting in his stance and instead stated that the school was against educating students who bring non-vegetarian food to school. He aggravated the situation by saying that the school will not teach students who will demolish temples when they grow up. What’s worse is that the principal accused the boy’s family of converting others through such non-veg food. The question that arises is how did India, a country that was born in the cradle of diversity in terms of race and secularism where religion is concerned turn into a country that is now vehemently promoting a majoritarian culture and threatening to impose a single religion and a uniform civil code.
Closer home in the north-eastern state of Assam there is currently a targeted move to deprive the so-called “Miya” Muslims (Bengali speaking Muslims) of their religious rights. Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has been painting the Bengali-speaking Muslim as ‘Bangladeshis.’ Union Home Minister Amit Shah used the derogatory term “termites” to define the so-called illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Do we wonder then why there is such a strong anti-India feeling in Bangladesh today. When a neighbouring country with sovereign rights is constantly belittled there is bound to be a feeling of resentment which accumulates with time and blows up when it can no longer be contained. Sheikh Hasina’s closeness to India – a country that has never let Bangladesh forget that it was created out of India’s magnanimity is seen by the ordinary Bangladeshi as a needless patronage. Intolerance extracts a heavy price. Those who feel subjugated will fight back and its only a matter of time before they too raise their voices and claim their rights. India needs to reclaim its secular spirit and resist all forms of religious intolerance and majoritarianism if it is to surge ahead as a strong and vibrant democracy.
