Will anyone in India ever dare to kill a beef-eating Hindu?

Fifty-year-old Mohammad Akhlaq was lynched by a mob of 200 men in Dadri in the outskirts of New Delhi. A mere rumour that he was storing cow meat in his fridge killed Akhlaq, critically injured his 22-year-old son and sparked communal tension in the area. Was Akhlaq killed for being a Muslim? In today's India, can a fanatic mob get away with killing a beef-eating person, even if he is a Hindu?

We would be kidding ourselves if we think that's the case. No Hindu can ever be killed for eating cow meat in India. Muslims are always the usual suspects. Sadly, they have become the "others" in a country with the second largest Muslim population in the world.

There is a large number of beef-eating Hindus in India, but no one deems them as others, of course. If they choose to eat the meat, they are neither bullied nor looked down upon.

The cops in Uttar Pradesh have sent the meat for forensic examination to check if it really was mutton as is being claimed by Akhlaq's family. Can we ever forget, let alone forgive ourselves, the question posed by Akhlaq's daughter Sajida: "If it is proven that the meat was not of cow, will that return my father?"

Who will tell that young woman that it's not cow meat that killed her father, but his religion?

Cow slaughter is prohibited in Uttar Pradesh and is a bailable offence with maximum of two years of imprisonment or fine of Rs 1,000. Had the law caught up with Akhlaq, and was he proven guilty, he would have served either a jail term or been fined.

But who cares for laws if it involves a Muslim in this country.

Also read: 5 foods that should be banned in India

Soya chaap: Ever been to a soya restaurant in Delhi? They have all the knockoffs of chicken recipes. Soya is the vegetarian’s chicken. If you drool over chicken tikka, go get some chicken tikka. Stop substituting your desire because your grandfather disapproves or it’s Tuesday. These are the people who remain in the closet, marry the girl of their parent’s choice and have kids. Meet your body’s lust for meat, because soya is nothing like it. Jaago grahak jaago.

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