Owner of an Eatery in West Bengal Shot Dead Because he was Selling Biryani at 190 a Plate

West Bengal is traditionally known to be the home to some leading figures in the realm of art, literature and even spirituality. From the greats such as the iconic Satyajit Ray to Rabindranath Tagore, West Bengal has even been a leading bastion of the Indian independence movement, giving birth to icons like the one and only Subhas Chandra Bose. But strangely, we are in times where often, what stems from the eastern state is utter rubbish.

When one doesn’t hear about some deplorable comments about politics and the usual downers on the state of poverty and a lack of hygiene, West Bengal continues to splurge no-brainers such as the recent episode, one that can give many sleepless nights. For instance, the recent heart-breaking and shocking news about the owner of an eatery who was actually cold-bloodedly killed and the reason is the most abhorrent tale you’ve ever heard.

What if you came across news such as the owner of an eatery (food joint) was killed only because he was selling Biryani for a price of INR 190 a plate? How would you digest that kind of news, if at all you did? Such immensity of cruelty does speak a thing or two about the current state of affairs about the state of West Bengal.

On Sunday evening, it was reported that the owner of an eatery in West Bengal was absurdly shot dead only because he had demanded a sum of rupees 190 from four customers. What’s worrying is not only the fact that the harmless man who was only asking for the price of the food he had served was killed, rather the sheer lack of control and tolerance that people in the society demonstrate today.

Without even batting an eyelid, the four customers, who were asked to pay the amount for Biryani, straight away engaged in a fight with the eatery owner, who was shot moments later. Without even giving the deceased a warning or even attempting to reach some sort of a conclusion or peace, the gangly group engaged in a bitter commotion that led to the loss of the life of a person. Lest it is forgotten, a totally harmless one at that.

The incident, it is reported, is to have taken place at West Bengal’s 24 Parganas district. Speaking of the unwanted incident, the police officials investigating the case have shared that, ” one person connected to the incident, Mohammad Firoz has been arrested”. Here’s another part of the story. Even as the Police say that the incident surely seems to have stemmed from the strange disagreement regarding the price plate of the Biryani, there are other angles that need to be studied and investigated.

Fair point. But at the same time, one needs to dwell on the key takeaway from such a sad and disconcerting news. It remains to be seen how West Bengal reacts and responds to such dampening episodes. Can such incidences be allowed to happen any further? Is the price of a plate of biryani too much and above the price of a real person’s life? After all, if we do not decide now, then when will we?