The tolerant Hindu: Lynchings and Carnivorous Cows
It is raining as usual in Kolkata, quite a respite from the hot dryness of the capital where I have been living since the last three years, juggling between my research work and teaching commitments. Cousins and their partners arrive one by one settling in my room that has recently been painted orange – suggestive only of my beloved fruit. One cousin who is also a TMC party worker casually asks me – “What are these anti-national things that u have got yourself into in Delhi?”. What ensued was a fiery dialogue over the current state of affairs, that somewhat culminated in admissions like these – Male Cousin: I am a Hindu first. Me: Haha. Much nationalism. Not even Indian? Male Cousin: Being Hindu is the same as being Indian. Me: And Bengali? Husband of Another Cousin: All Bengalis are Hindus. I wasn’t surprised by the flow of this conversation, having long known that the celebrated liberal ethos of the Bengali bhadralok is a myth propagated b...