It has become clear that Karnataka is sought to be turned into a communal cauldron, aimed at Hindu-Muslim polarisation, thanks to the BJP’s desire to win the upcoming Assembly elections in the state — at any cost to the state and the nation. It started with the deliberately cooked-up hijab controversy. Next came the demand for a ban on Muslim traders setting up temporary shops during temple fairs, a part of the tradition of harmonious living that has been in place for decades, if not centuries. Now, a row has been kicked up over halal meat, with Hindutva groups, ably supported by high functionaries of the BJP, telling Hindu meat-eaters to buy only jhatka meat. In all these instances, the Basavaraj Bommai government has been seen to be backing what seems to be a campaign of social and economic warfare against Muslims.
The halal cut requires an incision to be made on the neck of the animal, allowing it to bleed to death. In jhatka cut, the animal is beheaded in one blow. But halal does not merely refer to the way in which an animal is slaughtered, as many believe. The modern halal certification is also meant to indicate that no animal byproducts or alcohol have been used in the production of, say, drugs and cosmetics. In fact, many vegetarians and tee-totallers look for the halal mark irrespective of their religion. The Himalaya Drug Company, whose products are halal-certified, came under attack, with calls for Hindus to boycott them. However, they were lost for words when it came to light that Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, too, had sought and obtained halal certification for its products being exported to the Gulf.
The attempt to dictate to the people on this issue is preposterous and unacceptable. That Bommai promised to “look into the serious issues raised” by the Hindutva groups is a dead giveaway of the BJP’s polarisation modus operandi – get a fringe voice to rake up problems that do not exist, so that the BJP and its government can find solutions that seem like Hindu triumphs over Muslims. In this game, Bengaluru is all set to lose its status as a global city. That Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw called out the bigotry and urged Bommai to put an end to it is praise-worthy, especially at a time when billionaires and businesses are afraid to speak up. Karnataka, and Bengaluru in particular, has been a favoured destination for industries and investors, domestic and foreign, because this is a state that offers education and opportunities to all. That is under attack now. It cannot but besmirch Karnataka’s image and hurt its people.