Ah, the great Indian tradition of selective outrage! The latest tempest in a teacup? Governments in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh allowing Muslim employees to leave an hour early during Ramzan to break their fast. Predictably, the self-appointed protectors of fairness are up in arms, crying “appeasement!” But let’s cut the drama—why whine about it when you can demand the same for yourself?
As a devout Hindu who also observes Lent and Roza alongside Navaratri, I see no reason to turn this into a religious tug-of-war. Instead of moaning about so-called favouritism, why not use the same logic and request similar concessions for Hindus, Christians, and whoever else wants them? After all, fairness is a two-way street.
Government employee unions should take a page from this playbook. Instead of getting riled up about an hour’s early departure for Muslims, they should lobby for equal treatment. Why stop at fasting breaks? How about sponsored pilgrimages for Hindus and Christians, just like Haj subsidies? If governments can afford Shaadi Mubarak schemes and financial handouts for specific communities, they can certainly afford similar benefits for everyone.
The argument that Hindus have too many festivals to be accommodated is a lazy excuse. If we’re doling out favours, let’s be generous across the board. Why should one community get travel benefits for their sacred sites while another is expected to fund its own spiritual journeys? Where’s the parity in that?
Let’s also address the elephant in the room—India’s obsession with holidays. Our country practically grinds to a halt multiple times a year, thanks to an ever-growing list of official breaks for religious events, birth and death anniversaries of political figures, and who-knows-what-else. Meanwhile, industrialized nations power through, prioritizing productivity over sentimentality. Communist states, ruled with an iron fist, have surged ahead while we drown in our holiday calendars. Even with some recent curtailing of public holidays by the Modi government, we’re still far behind in optimizing work hours.
And yet, despite this glaring inefficiency, we continue to burden the exchequer with more freebies and exemptions in the name of faith-based politics. If we’re serious about development, our governments need to make a decision—either extend these concessions to all or scrap them entirely. Enough of this piecemeal appeasement that serves only to divide and politicize.
The solution is simple: demand equal treatment or demand its removal altogether. If fairness is the concern, let’s fight for it with logic, not lamentations. So, next time a government hands out special privileges, don’t cry foul—demand the same or call for a clean slate. Because true equality isn’t about playing the victim; it’s about playing smart.
