From the Grassroot level...

Somebody said fast food??? Or, a treat in a restaurant? Yeah, sure, I would love to have it…
But what if the food is non-veg? Think once more before going for a party. For this is the question which has baffled many down the ages. The question over which type of food one should have, vegetarian or non-vegetarian. It’s not that there is a great intricacy and important implications of this topic, but might prove to be relevant to those who had been disturbed by the ones who take “ghaas-phoos” as some call it and also to those who seek to break the age old tradition just because many delicious menus can be prepared in non-veg area.
Just because tradition prescribes and some religion vouchsafes that one should not lay hands on non-veg doesn’t mean that one should be forced to do so. Still there are some, who would like others to take only vegetarian and nothing else and will go to any extent to woo people to this way. They won’t take food on those vessels in which non-veg is prepared, won’t touch even spices, another plant product, which is indispensable for making non-veg food. They will even protest against cooking both types of food in the same place. Why?
Some quote health concerns. But we know the limit, on which to stop. Others take shelter in tradition. Non violent teachings which have been a part of every religion. This is even more critical reason which needs proper attention. Religions came up at a time when nobody knew that plants have life in them. True, Mahavira said that everything in this universe has life but that has been said in context of those bloody times when Kings undertook naked aggression upon each other killing thousands. It wasn’t until J.C. Bose found out that they have life in them. Yet the ancient beliefs held on.
Yes, we kill animals to eat them. If you consider that to be a sin then to kill plants is an even greater sin. The rice we get, the bread we tear, the sugar, without which no tea, coffee or sweet drink is possible, are all made from plants which have just started to live their own life. Even the wooden chairs, which decorate your rooms or the cricket bat of Sachin Tendulkar is made not from some dead decaying plant, but a proper young tree. Does that mean we should stop playing cricket? Does that mean we should stop eating and die of starvation?
Beliefs should always be in their place. But again, there should be a basis for that. On one hand, when India is trying really hard to remove casteism and untouchability, the blind dogmatic society which considers it a sin to touch those vessels in non-veg is being cooked, is proving to be a major road block. Why to keep such beliefs which causes problems to others?
It’s very disappointing to see the so called highly educated elite of India still living in the medieval ages. People, when will you broaden up your mind? Education is something which creates the propensity to question that which you are doubtful of…