What is it about certain kind of people in India who love to trample upon the sensitivities of Hindus. In a country, that has enshrined as a constitutional guarantee, the right of freedom of speech and expression, one has to toughen his hide and suffer criticisms and abuses, and not always of the most bona fide kind, but the motives behind the critiques and barbs can always be scrutinized.
It took this writer some time before he could write on this topic. Months ago this writer read this story regarding Kerala Tourism’s Twitter handle, where the handle drew flak of certain fair minded people after posting a picture of an unappetizing looking beef dish. It riled many good people and for a good reason. Because, let’s face it, the object of such social media posting is rarely to promote tourism, but to project one’s political and cultural views.
As soon as I read the story, I sighed at the sheer short-sightedness of folks running that twitter account. There is a left government in Kerala currently. Pinarayi Vijayan is the dude helming the Government there.
I wondered to myself as to why these Left governments go out of their way to appear as anti-Hindu as possible especially when electorally it is hardly that profitable.
Kerala is one of the few states in India that has not proscribed the sale, slaughter and consumption of Cow’s meat (Beef). Well, that’s the choice of the state’s people and this writer from the cow belt cannot really make a judgment on that.
What I am really disappointed is the clear and blatant lack of decency and graces which is clearly the case here.
One hopes that Kerala Tourism soon displays some culinary diversity by tweeting a picture of some, let’s say, porcine dish for the meat lovers.
Would they do it?
I kind of doubt it. And if they do, something tells me they would first check on the calendar.
P.S. — By the way, Kerala is the birthplace of Adi Shankara.