On the 24th of October, Sujata Anandan, the editor of the National Herald, a publication associated with the Congress party and facing serious fraud allegations, published an article that promoted prejudice against the Gujarati and Jain communities residing in Mumbai. In her piece, she referred to the dietary choices of Jains and Gujaratis in Mumbai as “food terrorism.”
In her article titled ‘Dietary apartheid: Mumbai gets a taste of food terrorism,’ Sujata Anandan contended, “Fish and rice are the staple of Maharashtrians, and they don’t see why they should alter their diet to accommodate newer residents, such as Gujaratis who have an aversion to even the scent of fish.”
Go back to Gujarat if you don't like the smell of fish and rice – Maharashtrians begin to reclaim their own statehttps://t.co/UgXZMnU9q9
— Sujata Anandan (@sujataanandan) October 24, 2023
She further vilified the Gujarati community in her article, recounting various incidents that she labeled as “food terrorism,” accusing Gujaratis and Jains in Mumbai of targeting Marathis based on their food habits. She went on to describe an incident in a Mumbai suburb where Gujaratis allegedly resorted to aggressive actions, including dumping garbage, dog feces, and cow dung at the doors of Marathi residents, leading to the ostracization of the Marathi family and their forced eviction from the building, with the majority of society supporting the Gujaratis.
She also mentioned, “This kind of food terrorism began in the late 1980s when former Prime Minister Morarji Desai forced the closure of a non-vegetarian restaurant in his building, claiming that the odors disturbed his tranquillity.”
Under the guise of advocating for the rights of Marathis in Mumbai, Sujata Anandan appeared to be pushing an agenda aimed at dividing Hindus along lines of caste and regional identities and now for a while, the left-liberal is also using food as a method of dividing and rule. The most recent example is the incident that took place in IIT Bombay.
She cited social media posts by young Maharashtrians targeting Gujarati traders and priests, calling for their expulsion from Mumbai and Maharashtra. She also highlighted the original inhabitants of Mumbai, including Kolis (fishermen), Agris (builders of Mumbai during British rule), and Pathare Prabhus (contributors to the city’s culture).
It’s worth noting that Sujata Anandan had previously made controversial statements about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and faced legal action for her remarks. Now, by labeling the dietary choices of Jains, Gujaratis, and other upper-caste Hindus as “food terrorism” and claiming to represent the non-vegetarian sections of the Marathi community, she is contributing to social divisions among different communities residing in Mumbai. Sujata Anandan serves as the editor of the National Herald, a publication facing allegations of fraud associated with the Congress party.
(With inputs from OpIndia)
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