Since 2015, there has been widespread vigilantism in the name of cow protection which has been criticised from time to time. This all began after the Dadri lynching incident, where a mob of villagers attacked the home of a Muslim man, Mohammed Ikhlaq, with sticks and bricks on suspicion of stealing and slaughtering a calf. This vigilantism has spread like a fire, and to date, we keep reading and hearing about such incidents. While some turn out to be fabricated, some of them are true.
By the way, my topic of focus is not cow protection. I would like to draw the attention of the readers towards a protest that was held at Jantar Mantar called ‘Not In My Name’. People from all walks of life came together to protest against the lynching of the Muslims and Dalits in the name of cow protection; holding placards. Did it do any good? Nah! Then what did they get by protesting? Well, they enjoyed the right to assemble freely without arms, which is their fundamental right. But it is not a solution. ‘Not In My Name’ will not solve this problem.
What I think we need is a ‘Not In My Country’ campaign instead. Looking at the incidents surfacing in the country, it is essential that we come together in this time of distress and say in one voice, “Not In My Country”. We are facing corruption, unemployment, poverty, insurgency, terrorism, economic disparity, extremism and many other problems. Now, this list also includes vigilantism in the name of cow protection.
We must change our attitude towards a lot of things. Caste and religion based politics need to be stopped. Caste system needs to be abolished. Appeasement of a particular religious community must be stopped. Rather than demanding rights and privileges everyone must come forward and contribute towards the progress of the nation instead of just sitting back and criticising.
However, criticising the policies of your nation does not make you ‘anti-national’. So, one must feel free to express their views. If you do not feel restricted by the boundaries of your country, then you should go for a ‘Not In My World’ campaign. It includes a vast subject matter, including- international terrorism, wars, environmental issues, economic crisis, morality and changing socio-political scenario etc.
Lastly, whether you support ‘Not In My Name’, ‘Not In My Country’ or ‘Not In My World’ remember that it is best to just “Live your life for you are born and not died yet”. I like this attitude.