Double standards in India

Double standards in India are not a new thing. They existed before partition, they exist today.Take alcohol for example. Hindus are different from Muslims here because of their double standards on Alcohol consumption and sale.In fact some Hindus are minting money by selling alcohol, to name a few - Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya, and owners of Mohan Meakin, India's two top brands.Alcohol is not acceptable in practical hinduism, nor does it form a part of any spiritual development process as claimed by many psuedo religionists and tantrics, but as no one represents Hinduism in its true form strongly enough today,people like Vijay Mallya are making profit from the weakness of Indians to drink.Hindus are not drunkards either, you might find more drunkards in the christian world, and many in the muslim world, especially where money flows.The average Hindu is neither too rich, nor has time for Alcohol.

It is the posession of wealth that encourages drinking.The poorer class of people satisfy themselves with toddy and cheap liqour, often endangering their lives and at times they even die due to some poisoned liqour. Both cases, rich drinkers or poor drinkers, are heading for disasters.Some might say a little of it, a peg a day will not be harmful. Are you being honest when you say that? Don't you wake up with a hangover next day? Alcohol damages your brain in instalments,and the hangover is a result of such a payback.Try not to drink even that peg, and see next day you will wake up feeling brighter.

Yet our politicians sleeep peacefully and some even actively promote pubs and bars (Sheila Dixit-I am sure she drinks, her eyes show it, is the Cheif Minister of New Delhi).Recently some social activists in Karnataka took upon themselves the liberty to attack a pub,and its customers. This again shows a double standard in our society which is constantly being challenged by groups like these. This seems to give a feeling that India might become "Talebanised" soon, and if this is not a genuine fear, it surely is a possibility, because the inevitable does happen.

This double standard has reflections in every state. Some states pretend to be dry, while some are wet, and some remain dry on special days like Mahatma Gandhi's birthday. All this merely speaks of our double standards and nothing else. Overall, India has no clear vision about Alcohol. India also does not have a clear vision about how to tackle terrorism (homegrown or imported).These grey areas are showing up as weaknesses, and forces outside our country are waiting to exploit these weaknesses. Drug mafia is always waitingto push in heroine into India from its borders.

In this front India has been trying hard to expose the druglord nexuses in Pakistan that use India as a route. A recent IPS officer has been found guilty of carrying a large quantity of heroine.Ironically this man was behind a crusade against Drug trafficking, and had exposes many dishonest cops.Now thecourts will decide if he is a Hero or a Zero.

So be it Drugs, Alcohol or Terrorism, they all represent our double standards, our ineffectiveness in dealing with these issues, and our failure in reaching a decision on whether this is good for us or bad for us.

I do not see what it is good for us at all in these drugs alcohol and weapons.

Alcohol sellers, drug peddlers and weapon dealers will definitely disagree with me. however their earnings are not a reason that our future generations should suffer,this is not good for young India.Alcohol,Drugs and Weapon Manufacturers should look for other businesses, diversify and manufacture only Medical Grade Alcohol for use in medicine and hospitals, manufacture medical grade drugs for use in Hospitals, and High quality weapons for use by Military, not the public.

Without bringing religion into this, we can at least try for a consensus through votes, to allow on a national scale, the production and use of Alcohol,Drugs and Weapons. Once a law is enacted, it should be then enforced immediately as it is already too late.This is also to ensure that we do not end up as a fractured society with a "Talebanised Hindu faction" as that would disintegrate India totally.Such factions will only grow faster and faster, if this issue is not addressed immediately by the government of India.

Once again, summarising the issue of double standards in the use of Alcohol, Drugs and Weapons, let me say with conviction that a healthy society which wants lasting peace, should do away with these double standards totally.It is upto us to decide which way we want to go, yet the way some politicians are actually supporting bars and pubs, it appears that the fight will be long and protracted. Yet this darkness caused by drugs,alcohol and weapons must leave our country, or we will be back into a past which we will not relish.