To force someone to do what you perceive as proper could, rightly or wrongly, be viewed as persecution. This issue is being debated across social media and other forums, as the general polity outrage against the blanket ban on the sale of meat and related products in Mumbai. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned the sale of all meat for four days, due to the Jain fasting season of Paryushan. The fast lasts for eight days but the ban will only happen on four of those eight days.
The announcement came at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement about the freedom to practice religions in India. This is certainly a slap in the face for that statement. The announcement also comes six months after the Maharashtra government banned the slaughter of bovines and the sale of beef in the state.
The religious beliefs of the Jain community need to be respected but suspicions over why the corporation chose to tread on religious terrain are strong. There was a provision for a ban on two days which has now been doubled. The fact that the corporation can force its views on other communities, thereby affecting millions of other residents in the metropolis, as well as the community of butchers who rely on the business for their livelihood, is unfair. Imposition of restrictions without consultation could be perceived as use of force. A government or a governmental body rushing in to misuse religious beliefs just makes matters worse. However, if compliance is voluntary then it could foster inter-community harmony.
