Is this a “lack of knowledge of customs and traditions” dear to many British Hindus? In any case, this is what Shivani Raja, Hindu MP for the Leicester East constituency (center of the country), estimated in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The British government made the mistake of serving meat and alcohol during the annual celebration of Diwali – one of the most important holidays in India – which was held at the end of October in 10 Downing Street.
As reported by the British daily The Telegraphthe Labor government recognized a “error” in organizing the event and reassured the UK Hindu community: “This won’t happen again.” Although Hinduism does not clearly prohibit the consumption of alcohol or meat, many Hindus, including several who attended the reception, choose not to drink—some are also vegetarians.
The Diwali celebration at Downing Street has been taking place since 2009, when it was introduced by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The holiday rose to prominence during the tenure of Rishi Sunak, the country’s first Hindu head of government. Usually alcohol and meat are not served. But this year, British Indian community leaders, MPs, local councilors and members of the armed forces expressed shock that lamb kebabs, beer and wine were being served, as reported by The Times of India.
“Insult to the Hindu community”
The mistake was indeed committed by the government, sparking complaints from British Hindu MPs, including Shivani Raja, from the opposition, who said she “very concerned” by this blunder. “As a practicing Hindu, representing thousands of Hindus in my own constituency, I was deeply saddened”scolded the conservative.
Same story from Priti Patel, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs: “Starmer’s apology fails to recognize the values of the Hindu communityshe protested to the Telegraph. The way this event was organized is an insult to the Hindu community and shows Labour’s complete ignorance of the British-Indian diaspora. They made no effort to understand our culture or values.”
For its part, the British government quickly admitted having made a mistake: “We apologize to the community and assure them that this will not happen again.” According to a government spokesperson, the Prime Minister paid tribute, during this event, to “the enormous contribution” from British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities to Britain.
This five-day festival (celebrated by Sikhs, Jains and Hindus) symbolizes new beginnings, the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. While different interpretations exist on how Hindus should treat animals, cows are considered sacred and many choose not to eat beef – others avoid meat altogether. Practicing Sikhs and Jains also abstain from alcohol.
Source: www.slate.fr
