HURT SENTIMENTS

There must be no larger population on the planet than ours that gets offended, outraged and frothing at the slightest perceived slight, whether said in jest or by a slip of the tongue.
We are that thin-skinned.
All of us!!

As I wade through interminable traffic to wriggle my way out of some gigantic and needless Fish Festival, even as I curse all aquatic life, a giant crab grabbed me by the claws and threatened to sue me, for hurting its thick shell.

When someone told the venerable Mauvin Godinho that, for all his wonderful work done in Vasco Zuari etc, he should be canonised as a Saint, he lost his shirt, and screamed that he is a Hindu, loud enough for Delhi to hear, then proceeded to sue that group of admirers.

When an EDM which was a pretty pedestrian washout this year, was told that it was time for the Sun to set on it, they threatened to sue all the dopeys and non-dopeys in the state.

Rohan Khaunte and Babush Monserrate get hopping mad at a cabinet meeting, because a certain minister is putting syringes and needles in their ministries. 
But they dare not name the said minister—for fear of defamation. Even the very powerful  have tissue-paper-thin skin.

When I nearly fell headlong into one of the frequent pop-up  pot-holes in Panjim and shouted expletives for all to hear as l bruised my arm, leg and ego, I promptly received a legal notice from the Smart City honchos, contending that the sentiments of the pot-hole were hurt and it is  refusing to be filled up now.

The casino guys are the smartest however.
They have aced the game.
Everytime someone abuses them, they graciously invite you over, give you a few free chips and then, once you are hooked, encourage you buy some more till you lose a couple of lakhs in their ultra-smart system.
They serve up Revenge nice and cold.

Clearly our latest cause celebre who has been caught up in this imbroglio of hurt sentiments, is my dear friend, Datta Naik.
Somewhere, in an interview, he disparagingly dismissed all Hindu mutts as extortionists and looters.
And in particular, the revered Partagali Mutt. 
He has, of course, back- pedalled somewhat and retracted the "looters" bit.
So should one feel offended by this rather deliberate statement of Datta??
Or is this a storm in a teacup and is Datta's right to free-speech infringed? 

Here are my three takeaways.

🙂As a rationalist and an atheist, there is no way Datta can target only Hindu practices that he believes are unscientific and archaic.
He, and many of his ilk, never ever really hammer some of the most outrageously misogynistic, even de-humanising, tenets of Islam, for instance.  
Or the pathetic march of the pastors and evangelists who seek to obliterate false (read Hindu) gods. 
If you are a rationalist, you must have a critical eye on ALL religions.

🙂 When Hindu beliefs are trampled upon, the state moves with alacrity against the alleged culprit.
Calls for the elimination of termites from among the minority elicits just a yawn from the police force or the justice system.
Are some sentiments more sacred than others??

🙂And finally, what is Datta being prosecuted for??
Especially after he has apologized for his choice of words.
To my mind, Datta's crime stoops to the level of rank stupidity and the “I know it all” attitude.
Since when is that a penal offence?? 
Where is the murder weapon??
Where is the dead body??
Where is the money looted??
Where is the drug haul??
Even Hercule Poirot would hide inside his moustache at this joke of an FIR.
Datta has been atrociously daft, even senile, in his comments (he has obviously  not studied the sterling work done by the Partagali Mutt) and he has to learn not to offend everyone in his quest for a scientific temper and rationalism in society.
But a Crime???
Come on. Give me a break!!
Don’t our compromised cops have better work to do: like apprehend the real criminals dogging  our society??
Rather than chase this Mungerilal  ke haseen sapne??
What a Shame!!