Six Million Jews? Who Cares.

‘Hitler’s Cross’, is one of the newest eating joints in Mumbai and for obvious reasons has raised its’ fair share of controversy. Hitler, considered one of the biggest villains of history by most of the western world actually has quite a fan following in India. Travel by train through our country and you will find copies of Mein Kampf in platform booksellers at most major stations. The reason is that Hitler never actually did anything to a Hindus, additionally, he preached of an Aryan master race. Most Indians like to consider themselves of Aryan descent (though geneticists differ) and are flattered that such an important figure preached from the Bhagvad–Gita. Hitler is seen by many as a military genius who took on the western imperial powers, which eventually led to the fall of British rule in India, not as a demented madman who endorsed ethnic cleansing. We conveniently forget that he killed more than 6 million Jews in his reign of hate. Now compare him with General Dyer who was responsible for the cold-blooded murder of hundreds of Indians at Jallianwala Bagh. Dyer’s accomplishments are paltry in comparison to what Hitler achieved, yet to us Dyer was the bigger villain, why? Because he killed Indians and not Jews. Nobody in their right minds would name a restaurant Dyers Rifle but Hitler’s cross is apparently okay.
Hitler’s Cross is symptomatic of our insensitivity, we look at the world as Indian and non-Indian. Instead of thinking of the victims of the Nazi holocaust as Jews, it would do us good to think of them as humans. Six million dead humans is not a figure to be scorned, you can’t justify that sort of a massacre. Hitler was responsible for what happened but it is a stain on our collective human history, we are responsible for ensuring it never happens again. Hero worshipping Hitler is not the way to achieve that.
Back to Hitler’s Cross, the owner reportedly stated to the media that the reasoning behind the name was that like Hitler they wanted to take over the world. What? Hitler never took over the world. Alexander’s Horse (Bucephalus), Genghis’ Yurt or maybe Magellan’s Ship (he did after all circumnavigate the world) would have been more appropriate names following that particular line of reasoning.
Since most menu items are named following a particular theme and the theme in this case being Hitler, I wonder what they serve at this particular restaurant. Cream of Gestapo soup anyone? How about some Waffen SS waffles, maybe a Goering steak or their speciality, Luftwaffe Leftovers, served with a tossed Guernica Salad.
The biggest controversy in the recent past was probably the Danish comic strip portraying the Prophet; I think this is far worse because though it is offensive only to a particular community, it should ideally affect all of us. Hitler along with Pol Pot, Milosevic and all other genocidal despots committed crimes against humanity. To venerate them is to approve of what they did, something that no amount of justification can excuse.

The establishment was finally forced to change its name today in the evening as per media reports.