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The Inhuman Nature of It


"Cow slaughter is an inhuman practice and should be banned," Reema read from the back of the newspaper that her brother, Rahul, was reading. "Okay that’s good. I mean, when cows provide us with milk and plough our fields and all, we shouldn’t eat them up. Little thanks that will be. But look…"
"You’ll miss the beef," Rahul interrupted smugly, without taking his eyes off the paper that he was reading. 
"Hey, I gave it up long back!" Reema objected sharply. She hated being accused for what she had not done and her past mistakes being pointed out. 
"Point, but not after two cows left the Earth and landed in your stomach," Rahul replied calmly. Reema was annoyed. She always was when her brother was around. He had an irritating habit of pointing out all her mistakes and insulting her all the time. "Anyway, you were saying something before I interrupted you." 
"You always interrupt me. But as I was saying, look at the reasons they gave: cows being a religious symbol for Hindus, the vehicle of Lord Shiva should not be devoured by man. All that religious nonsense!  What about cows being helpful and why helpful? As a matter of fact they shouldn’t be killed because they’re living. We can live without eating beef!" Rahul didn’t seem to be taking in a word of Reema’s rant. He was reading the article that had caused his sister’s blood pressure to rise. 
"Are you even listening?" Reema demanded, extremely vexed. 
"Nope." Rahul calmly folded the newspaper and looked at Reema who seemed to want to do nothing more than throw the cup in her hands at his face. Her hands were trembling in any case. "I wasn’t listening to your banter but I disagree…" 
The cup did fall from Reema’s hand and her face was white with shock. 
"That was one god cup," Rahul whispered, more to himself than to the woman, who sitting shell-shocked before him, seemed not to have noticed. 
When she spoke, it was little more than a whisper, "What do you disagree with?" 
"That cow slaughter is inhuman. I find it to be the most humane thing." 
Reema looked like she was about to faint from outrage. Nevertheless, when she spoke her voice was steady, "I am ashamed to call you my brother." She was interrupted again. 
"What do you mean by humane?"
"Compassionate, kind, sympathic."
"Wrong. Don’t interrupt me." Reema, who had opened her mouth to object, closed it limply. "Humane comes from human, so shouldn’t humane mean the qualities of man?" Reema could see where this was leading. "Seeing that humans are neither kind nor compassionate, humane should mean apathy, heartless, inconsiderate. Inhuman, that is, what is not human should mean kind and compassionate." 
A ghost of a smile played on Reema’s lips. "Cow slaughter is very humane," she said.

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