"Right-wing wants beef banned, left-wing wants dog meat banned." A talk show host in Nagaland raised this issue with a popular politician, who is vegetarian.
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00:00When Nagas, or let's say the tribal from Northeastern states, go to Delhi,
00:03they will cook some stinky foods, which the people of Northeastern states love.
00:09But there would be hue and cry from the neighborhood.
00:11Just as I will not eat your dogs or your cows, I'm not going to tell you not to eat it because
00:17that's your culture, you're brought up enjoying that taste, by all means go ahead and do it.
00:30The rise of the right-wing extremism has really, really suppressed the Nagas from enjoying their
00:45meal, the beef which you mentioned. And even the rise of the left-wing extremism, I would say,
00:52the ban of dog meat. All the Nagas may not be eating, but that's the
00:56delicacy which many, many Nagas still really enjoy.
01:00The two extreme forces are really suppressing the Nagas in a way.
01:06What matters is not about the food or what the Nagas consume.
01:09What matters is there are lots and lots of people who are unheard of.
01:13So what do you comment on that?
01:15No, I agree. Frankly, I think the whole logic of our democracy
01:19and what was enshrined in our constitution is precisely that people should be free to be
01:24themselves. If your culture involves you eating items that I may not, that's not my problem.
01:30In fact, Gandhiji, when he was asked before independence about how as somebody who is
01:35vegetarian and who is a believer in Ahimsa and non-violence to animals, how he could
01:41allow the Muslims to go ahead and sacrifice goats on Eid and eat meat and so on.
01:46He said very simply, I have my own beliefs and preferences which I apply in my life,
01:52but I have no right to impose my way of living on the other person.
01:57So the Muslims should be free to eat exactly what they want to eat.
02:00And that's my logic when it comes to the Nagas as well.
02:03Actually, I have a terrible confession to make in front of a Naga audience.
02:06I am vegetarian, but the truth is I'm very happy to eat amongst people who are eating
02:13something else. That's their life.
02:15Ultimately, it's an intimate personal decision what you put into your own mouth.
02:19Why should a government sitting in Delhi on the basis of what they imagine to be their
02:23moral code tell you what you can and cannot do?
02:26So very simply, I'm totally very much in favor of the idea that we cannot iron out
02:32the heterogeneity of our culture and force everyone to be like our idea of the ideal.
02:40It has to be instead a system which says I will be me and you will be you.
02:45I will respect you. You respect me.
02:47And that's the way in which we're going to live in this society.
02:50When Nagas or let's say the tribal from Northeastern states go to Delhi,
02:53they will cook some stinky foods, which the people of Northeastern states love.
02:59But there would be hue and cry from the neighborhood.
03:02So as a politician, as a leader of the nation, where do we draw the line on the freedom of
03:10eating what you want to eat at the same time respecting the sentiments of other people?
03:14By respecting your sentiments means I don't force you to eat something you don't want to eat.
03:20I can't tell you that if you're going to come to my home, you will only be served something
03:23that you don't eat.
03:25Just as when I go to a Naga home, I'm given vegetarian food because they don't want to
03:29give me meat that I will be unwilling to eat.
03:33They have the same logic.
03:34We should do this.
03:35I remember writing an article which you can Google in the week magazine a few years ago.
03:39There was a very interesting incident when the Iranian president was on an official visit
03:44to Paris.
03:46And at the official lunch, the French served the Iranian delegation their food.
03:52And because the Iranians don't drink alcohol, there was a fruit juice or something for them.
03:58But the French themselves had as they usually do wine with their meal.
04:03And the Iranians protested and walked out saying this was an insult to Iran.
04:07When wine was served at the table where they were eating, that to my mind is intolerance
04:12on the Iranians part.
04:14No one is forcing them to drink that wine.
04:16You see what I'm saying?
04:17But just as the French cannot oblige the Iranians to have wine, the Iranians cannot oblige the
04:25French not to have wine.
04:27That's the kind of principle that I believe.
04:29So just as I will not eat your dogs or your cows, I'm not going to tell you not to eat
04:35it because that's your culture.
04:36You're brought up enjoying that.
04:37At least by all means, go ahead and do it.