Beef up your thought
The fantastic ability of our Mainstream Media to elevate incongruent events into the public narrative is almost hypnotic to those who bow to the hashtag as the harbinger of righteousness. There is an event, there is news and then there is the hashtag opinion which you can subscribe to and finally there is your own opinion - which could arise from a number of factors like education, learning, emotion, understanding or even stupidity.
The Event
It is actually what happened. It usually has two persons or groups and if there was a stray animal nearby it's incidental species determines it's role in the event. To actually know what happened in the event either you have to be a part of the event as one of the parties, or an eyewitness at the site or make the effort to travel to the location and meet everyone concerned. Now usually this is nowhere near your neighbourhood, nor your city nor a state you have probably ever visited before. And you are not likely to take the trouble to go there since it is anyway not your problem
The News
This is a little bit of what happened and actually every thing else that did not happen plus that which was not said on any other news channel plus that which was said differently on someother channel said differently on your channel. The similarity with the actual event is that there are two parties here also, one of whom is the victim and the other is either a Hindu right-wing group or in the rarest of rare cases a group of perpetrators whose affiliations are not known. No matter what the quarrel was over, if there was a stray cow nearby (yes there are stray cows in India) or if there were people in one of the groups had women family members with names similar to cows (yes cows can be named) or if one of they were dressed like cowherds, the news will perceive the matter to be related to a cow.
The Hashtag
Now, i can't go to the location of the event and it is too much of an effort to combine all the news reports and then deconstruct fact from fiction and expert advice, i can always depend on the hashtag. Surely, there are enough luminaries in the world of hashtags with enough likes who can be relied on and it is so much more easier for me to express my agreement or anguish with a simple share or like or retweet etc. But surely, someone with the refinement of language to make a point in 140 characters has the intellectual comprehension of the situation to inform the reader of all that is going wrong.
But what if, you gave it a little more thought beyond what you read. What if you read over and over again the same article and asked yourself what else you would like to know about the article and what if you happened to notice the pattern of stories being published over and over again. So, after months of reading and listening to multiple sides i decided to finally do the hardest thing. Think!
Using the Cow/Cattle as the centerpiece of my dissection (not literally please) i decided to ask myself and answer myself questions on the news itself and the cow itself.
With respect to the frequent news itself of cow related matters:-
(I found my answers, but leaving it to you for your enlightenment if interested)
1) Which are the publications that are frequently publishing on the matter.
2) Are they all online sites of established media houses or newer online only platforms.
3) Do the online only platforms have affiliations, direct or indirect, to media houses.
4) Who are the reporters or columnists on these matters. What other matters are they writing on. What is the similarity quoted in each report.
5) Are they even real reporters or psuedonyms?
6) Is the report an actual report from the ground or pieced together from other online or TV content.
7) Is it a report, or an opinion in the garb of a report.
8) Is the report as sensational or as substantial as the headline.
9) Whose 'sound bites' or reactions is the report carrying.
10) Is there factual information on FIRs/Police reports.
11) Has any one of the publications ever cited the complete legal history of Cattle slaughter and the stance of various states since independence.
12) Is beef really the cheapest and best source of protein for the poor (per indexmundi.com doesnt appear to be so) .
13) Is beef really a rich source of needed protein for the poor - this actually took me into the direction of what is protein, how much needed etc.(according to multiple sites it certainly isn't the top source of protein http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/muscle-foods/the-worlds-best-protein-sources-313853 or https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php.
One western doctor in a youtube video quoted that human milk - essential for the beginning, growth and survival of infant human life has the least amount of protein).
14) Have anyone reported on the pre and post of the matter of livelihood, especially how the pre notification world of purchasing and selling worked.
As i write these questions itself above, i realise the leaning or the bias it is creating for me in just formulating them - so wouldn't it only be natural that if you repeatedly said the same thing over and over again you start getting regimented without logic
Now coming to the Cow itself, here are some of the things i asked myself.
1) Have i grown up around a cow.
No
2) Do i know people who have grown up around a cow.
No
3) Do i know people who are rearing cattle, care for cattle and have i ever been to their place and asked them their opinion.
No
4) Did my family ever tell me it is wrong to eat beef.
No
5) Is there any religious or ideological diktat that i have been given that i must not eat beef.
No
6) What are the products of the cow that i have consumed
a) Milk
b) Curd
c) Paneer
d) Butter
e) Ghee ( Wow, just realised that every next product from milk increases in retail value)
7) Is the cow an ecological or an economic animal
This was kind of a stunning question to myself, but it just came. Need to do some more thinking on this one.
8) What are the other aspects of a cow that are used
a) Cowdung (Fresh for methane gas, dried cakes for mud stoves or disinfectant/weather proofing on floors and walls of mud houses, fertiliser or manure)
b) Cow urine - as disgusting as it sounds to me, was rather surprised at the widespread use and acceptance
c) In death
i) Hide
ii) Horns and bones
iii) Meat
9) Is the maintenance of a cow an expensive proposition when it has become incapable of producing milk and is producing only the list in 8a and 8b above.
Was difficult to check this and will certainly need interaction with an indepent cattle owner to know this.
An exercise in thought is an interesting exercise. It is like putting your grey matter through a sieve. Each time we can insert a different sieve and refine ourselves a little bit more. So next time you are impressed by a hashtag or the high-moral ground self-serving hydraulic operated closing comments of some news channels - beef up your own thought!
The Event
It is actually what happened. It usually has two persons or groups and if there was a stray animal nearby it's incidental species determines it's role in the event. To actually know what happened in the event either you have to be a part of the event as one of the parties, or an eyewitness at the site or make the effort to travel to the location and meet everyone concerned. Now usually this is nowhere near your neighbourhood, nor your city nor a state you have probably ever visited before. And you are not likely to take the trouble to go there since it is anyway not your problem
The News
This is a little bit of what happened and actually every thing else that did not happen plus that which was not said on any other news channel plus that which was said differently on someother channel said differently on your channel. The similarity with the actual event is that there are two parties here also, one of whom is the victim and the other is either a Hindu right-wing group or in the rarest of rare cases a group of perpetrators whose affiliations are not known. No matter what the quarrel was over, if there was a stray cow nearby (yes there are stray cows in India) or if there were people in one of the groups had women family members with names similar to cows (yes cows can be named) or if one of they were dressed like cowherds, the news will perceive the matter to be related to a cow.
The Hashtag
Now, i can't go to the location of the event and it is too much of an effort to combine all the news reports and then deconstruct fact from fiction and expert advice, i can always depend on the hashtag. Surely, there are enough luminaries in the world of hashtags with enough likes who can be relied on and it is so much more easier for me to express my agreement or anguish with a simple share or like or retweet etc. But surely, someone with the refinement of language to make a point in 140 characters has the intellectual comprehension of the situation to inform the reader of all that is going wrong.
But what if, you gave it a little more thought beyond what you read. What if you read over and over again the same article and asked yourself what else you would like to know about the article and what if you happened to notice the pattern of stories being published over and over again. So, after months of reading and listening to multiple sides i decided to finally do the hardest thing. Think!
Using the Cow/Cattle as the centerpiece of my dissection (not literally please) i decided to ask myself and answer myself questions on the news itself and the cow itself.
With respect to the frequent news itself of cow related matters:-
(I found my answers, but leaving it to you for your enlightenment if interested)
1) Which are the publications that are frequently publishing on the matter.
2) Are they all online sites of established media houses or newer online only platforms.
3) Do the online only platforms have affiliations, direct or indirect, to media houses.
4) Who are the reporters or columnists on these matters. What other matters are they writing on. What is the similarity quoted in each report.
5) Are they even real reporters or psuedonyms?
6) Is the report an actual report from the ground or pieced together from other online or TV content.
7) Is it a report, or an opinion in the garb of a report.
8) Is the report as sensational or as substantial as the headline.
9) Whose 'sound bites' or reactions is the report carrying.
10) Is there factual information on FIRs/Police reports.
11) Has any one of the publications ever cited the complete legal history of Cattle slaughter and the stance of various states since independence.
12) Is beef really the cheapest and best source of protein for the poor (per indexmundi.com doesnt appear to be so) .
13) Is beef really a rich source of needed protein for the poor - this actually took me into the direction of what is protein, how much needed etc.(according to multiple sites it certainly isn't the top source of protein http://www.menshealth.co.uk/food-nutrition/muscle-foods/the-worlds-best-protein-sources-313853 or https://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php.
One western doctor in a youtube video quoted that human milk - essential for the beginning, growth and survival of infant human life has the least amount of protein).
14) Have anyone reported on the pre and post of the matter of livelihood, especially how the pre notification world of purchasing and selling worked.
As i write these questions itself above, i realise the leaning or the bias it is creating for me in just formulating them - so wouldn't it only be natural that if you repeatedly said the same thing over and over again you start getting regimented without logic
Now coming to the Cow itself, here are some of the things i asked myself.
1) Have i grown up around a cow.
No
2) Do i know people who have grown up around a cow.
No
3) Do i know people who are rearing cattle, care for cattle and have i ever been to their place and asked them their opinion.
No
4) Did my family ever tell me it is wrong to eat beef.
No
5) Is there any religious or ideological diktat that i have been given that i must not eat beef.
No
6) What are the products of the cow that i have consumed
a) Milk
b) Curd
c) Paneer
d) Butter
e) Ghee ( Wow, just realised that every next product from milk increases in retail value)
7) Is the cow an ecological or an economic animal
This was kind of a stunning question to myself, but it just came. Need to do some more thinking on this one.
8) What are the other aspects of a cow that are used
a) Cowdung (Fresh for methane gas, dried cakes for mud stoves or disinfectant/weather proofing on floors and walls of mud houses, fertiliser or manure)
b) Cow urine - as disgusting as it sounds to me, was rather surprised at the widespread use and acceptance
c) In death
i) Hide
ii) Horns and bones
iii) Meat
9) Is the maintenance of a cow an expensive proposition when it has become incapable of producing milk and is producing only the list in 8a and 8b above.
Was difficult to check this and will certainly need interaction with an indepent cattle owner to know this.
An exercise in thought is an interesting exercise. It is like putting your grey matter through a sieve. Each time we can insert a different sieve and refine ourselves a little bit more. So next time you are impressed by a hashtag or the high-moral ground self-serving hydraulic operated closing comments of some news channels - beef up your own thought!
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