Site icon The Commune

What’s All The Fuss About Aachi Masala And Sakthi Masala

Kaathavaraayan

Controversy erupted in social media as the Naam Tamilar Party cadres and its IT wing called for a boycott of Sakthi Masala because the company used Tamil text below English and Hindi in its masala packets.

This is not one of the party’s usual fringe activities, as the move allegedly has an ulterior motive to help Sakthi masala’s rival, Aachi masala, a company that has previously promoted anti-Hindu bigots.

Tamil Nadu has become one of the nation’s hubs for “ready-to-use” masalas, having previously been one of the states where these spices would be meticulously hand-picked and ground at home.

With a market value of ₹2500 crore, Tamil Nadu ranks among the largest markets for spices. Sakthi and Aachi, two local brands with a combined market share of 70%–80%, are the market leaders.

With small players operating in each district, the unorganised masala market would be worth over ₹1,000 crore. The unbranded market is assumed to have between 2,000 and 2,500 players, according to traders.

With both the major players – Sakthi and Aachi – attempting to expand their base outside of Tamil Nadu, it is clear that the current controversy is not about fighting alleged insults to the Tamil language, a political tool used by the Stockists and Thambis in Tamil Nadu.

A dig into the political affiliations of the owners of Aachi masala reveals that the current controversy has a hidden agenda.

PC Duraisamy Vs Padmasingh Isaac

P.C. Duraisamy, the founder of the Sakthi Masala, was a small time turmeric trader from a village called Perundurai near Erode. In 1975, he founded Sakthi Trading Company and began trading turmeric. Later, he entered the world of pure spice powders such as turmeric, chilli, and coriander. His curiosity allowed him to enter the masala world fearlessly. He faced numerous challenges, as selling masala powders to traditionally conservative oriental women was difficult at the time. A notable aspect of Sakthi Masala is that a majority of the workforce are physically challenged.

Mr Padmasingh Isaac is the founder and managing director of the Aachi group of companies. The masala baron, who was born in Nazareth in Thoothukudi, began his career as a Godrej sales representative before rising to his current position. As he rose through the ranks, so did the controversy surrounding him and his company, with even the brand briefly being banned in parts of Kerala.

Padmasingh Isaac And His Association With Anti Hindu Bigots

Padmasingh Isaac is the uncle of Isaac Livingstone, the Managing Director of Sathiyam TV, a Christian evangelical news channel that airs sermons of rabid Christian pastor Mohan C Lazarus who is known for spewing hate against Hindu faith. Lazarus had said that “Satan’s grip” is tight only in Tamil Nadu as it is the state with the highest number of temples in India. In February 2021, the Madras High Court came down heavy and issued a warning to the Christian pastor for making reckless statements against Hindus and Hindu religion. Lazarus was also instrumental in instigating the people against Thoothukudi Sterlite factory was Mohan C Lazarus. While addressing a huge gathering of Christians, he peddled without any scientific basis that Sterlite Copper was a toxic factory and said that the Church has risen to shut the factory down.

Padmasingh Isaac was also once honoured by Dravida Kazhagam head K. Veeramani, a fanatical anti-Hindu Periyarist. He expressed pride in receiving the honour from Ki. Veeramani.

Padmasingh Isaac And His Association With Evangelical Tamil Separatists

Padmasingh Isaac has shared the stage with rabid anti-Hindu politician Thirumavalavan and leaders espousing Tamil separatism – Seeman and Vaiko – during the launch of the book “Iniyavale Unakaga” written by Mrs. Joy Isaac, Editor of Sathyam weekly e-newspaper.

Padmasingh Isaac on the extreme left along with Vaiko, Thirumavalavan and Seeman

The anti-Hindu statements of Seeman, Thirumavalavan, and Vaiko are well known, ranging from mocking Hindu rituals and ceremonies to insulting Hindu gods.

It should also be noted that Padmasingh Isaac has funded a CSI Bethel Church in Koyambedu, and there have been rumours of conversions on social media. It is no wonder that he shared stage with the bigots like Seeman, Thirumavalavan and Vaiko.

The ‘Poochi Masala’ Controversy

A 2019 episode involving the quality of Aachi Masala is worth mentioning here. Aachi’s chilli powder failed a food safety test in June 2019 and was subsequently banned in Thrissur in September. The samples from the specific batch were tested in the Regional Analytical Laboratory in Kakkad, and the pesticide content was found to be more than 1 gram per kg, exceeding the allowable limit (0.01 mg per kg).

The pesticide content in this specific batch, titled FDGMS and manufactured in June 2019, was found to be greater than 1 gm and thus banned in Thrissur. Though the company denied the reports, the Masala brand was temporarily banned before being reinstated. This resulted in the hashtag #poochimasala trending in 2019, trying to mock Aachi masala. In Tamil, poochi masala means “Insect Masala.”

These incidents of temporary ban on Aachi Masala and the association of the MD of Aachi Masala with Evangelical Tamil separatists lead one to think that the recent controversy of Sakthi Masala allegedly insulting the Tamil language is the hit job of rival Aachi Masala to disrupt Sakthi Masala’s sales.

It is also being speculated that NTK Seeman instigated the “Tamil being insulted” controversy in order to assist Aachi Masala MD Padmasingh Isaac, who also belongs to the same caste as Seeman, Christian Nadar.

For all the talk about an imagined ‘Hindi imposition’ and insulting of Tamil language by keeping it third, it is noteworthy to mention that there are lot of Aachi Masala packets where only text in English can be found.

Does that make Aachi Masala anti-Tamil?

Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.

 

Exit mobile version