Hindu Vs Secular Model of Development
Today Mahatma Gandhi’s value is not worth the currency notes which carry his picture. Gandhi led Congress and other secular parties have worked overtime to achieve this.
To substantiate my point I will like to give an example of the initiatives of the Congress Government and Mahatma Gandhi’s thought.
Mahatma Gandhi said: Criminal negligence is the only cause of the miserable condition of our cattle. Our pinjrapoles, though they are an answer to our instinct for mercy, are a clumsy demonstration of its execution. Instead of being model dairy farms and great profitable national institutions, they are merely depots for receiving decrepit cattle. (Y.I, 6-10-’21, p.318)
An ideal goshala would supply the city of its domicile with cheap and wholesome milk from cattle of its own keeping, and cheap and lasting footwear not out of slaughtered hide but of the hide of dead cattle. Such a goshala will not be on one or two acres of ground in the heart of a city or in its immediate neighbourhood but it would have at some distance, but within easy reach, fifty to a hundred acres of ground where a modern dairy and a modern tannery would be conducted on strictly business but national lines. Thus there would be no profits and no dividends to be paid and there would be also no loss incurred. …Not Denmark but Indian should be a model State for the finest dairy experiments, and India should not to her shame have to export nine crore rupees worth of dead cattle hide annually and for her consumption use slaughtered cattle hide. Y.I., 22-10-’25, p.361
The response of Congress led UPA government to Gandhi’s vision of dairying is amazing. In April 2013, the headlines of the newspapers were “Beef exports up 44% in 4 years, India is top seller”. The Centre’s Pink Revolution to promote meat production and export has led to a 44% increase in meat consumption and export in four years, but it has failed to regulate the industry.
As per animal husbandry departments, meat from registered slaughterhouses increased from 5.57 lakh tonnes in 2008 to 8.05 lakh tonnes in 2011. India became the world’s top exporter of beef in 2012. The food processing ministry had announced subsidies of 15 crore to modernize abattoirs. The number of buffaloes killed went up from 49.46 lakh in 2008 to 69.6 lakh in 2011.
The incentivized promotion of beef is not accidental but intentional. The Congress believes that Mahatma Gandhi’s views, thoughts are of no value today. It was evident from a Union Minister of Congress led UPA government’s recent statement.
“There is something which is not realistic about Gram Rajya. Mahatma Gandhi spoke about Gram Rajya, which means the village will itself produce all resources it needs,” Union minister of state for human resource development. He was, delivering the keynote address at ‘Pan-IIM world management conference’ in May 2013. “The idea of autonomous village does not hold any realistic view in our lifetime,” he noted, adding the current world is of globalisation and increasing communication.
May be Minister has not read Gandhi. Gandhi has specifically said “I have no quarrel with steamships and telegraphs.” (Y.I., 7-10-’26, p. 348, Village Swaraj.)
In June 2013 Shri Narendra Modi said “I was shocked when someone associated with the Government of India said this. If this is how they think then they have not been able to understand India. And if they are in decision making, I wonder what will happen to the villages?” The Chief Minster went on to say, “I can say this with conviction- that Mahatma Gandhi’s economic ideas are as relevant today as they were and we must be sure of this. If we see what Gandhi ji said on rural economy then we will not need to look for different paths of progress for decades. But then, those who do not have faith in themselves, how can they give faith to others?” He further opined that in a time when the world is reeling under global warming, we could find all our answers in what Gandhi ji said. Modi avowed, “Gandhi ji never opposed science or change. That is why the great man gave a way for rural development, which is as relevant even today but the precondition is we must have faith in ourselves.”
Incidentally when Modi made the above statement he was addressing the All India Conference on Livestock and Dairy Development. Here he also shared that: In Gujarat operations of animals are done with laser technology so that no drop of blood comes out. Cataract operation and dental treatment is provided to animals. Gujarat Government has decided to ensure that no animal has to walk more than 3 kms to receive treatment. All these initiatives are driven through Pashu Arogya Melas. 122 animal diseases have been eradicated in Gujarat.
The above not only provides a distinction between Hindu and Secular model of development but also answers the questions like who killed Gandhi’s ideas and who has kept him alive; at the same time gives the direction to animal right activist as to whom to vote for in the coming elections.
Sandeep Singh, www.swastik.net.in
SANDEEP SINGH
Education:
Sandeep Singh (1971) has obtained a Post Graduation in Rural Development from Xavier Institute of Social Sciences (XISS) Ranchi.
Sandeep has also specialized in Media Planning from the Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA),
Ahmedabad & in General Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore. He is a contributing author
at World Hindu News. He can be reached at: http://www.swastik.net.in