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Beef Ban
Two months ago, the Maharashtra state government, led by the Hindu nationalist party, banned the possession and sale of beef. The law extends to non-Hindus, and violators may face a five-year prison sentence. Bovine-venerating right-wingers have declared the ban a victory, but butchers, slaughterhouse workers, and liberals view the law as discriminatory against Christian, Muslim, and Dalit minorities.
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(Photo: Martin Harvey/Getty Images) |
Slum Tourism
Dharavi is among the largest slums in the world but wasn’t a household name until Slumdog Millionaire. Now guided walks through the 551-acre neighborhood are big business; tour operators claim they’re showcasing constituents’ entrepreneurial spirit (plastics-recycling factories, leather workshops, etc.). Critics say they’re voyeuristic and demoralizing.
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(Photo: Hindustan Times/Getty Images) |
Narendra Modi
Time magazine nicknamed the prime minister “reformer-in-chief” (roads, electricity, and jobs are three pillars of his agenda). He’s also a prolific tweeter (12.3 million followers and counting). But those who don’t buy into the hard-line politics of his Bharatiya Janata Party or who question his controversial former chief minister’s handling of the deadly Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002 are less enthused.