The recently concluded Kerala School Kalolsavam would be remembered for the controversy surrounding communalisation of food. Famous cook Pazhayidam Namboothiri was targeted by left liberals for providing vegetarian food to thousands of artists performing in Kalolsavam (Youth festival). The incident was a disgrace due to multiple reasons as it stood to testify to the radicalized trend of the left to crook up issues just to target the Hindu community in the state. The simmering communal situation also coincides with multiple deaths after eating ‘Halal foods’ in Kerala that put the state government in a tricky spot. In this context this article will look into the incident surrounding the ‘youth festival’ in Kerala and why the trend of communalising food is just another act by the left targeting the Hindu community in the state.
The Hindu phobia and the communal angle
Mohanan Namboothiri, popularly known as Pazhaiydam, who has been the caterer for the festival for the past 16 years, announced Sunday that he would no longer take up the task assigned by the state Education Department. He also said he was withdrawing from the contract for catering for the Southern India Science Fair slated for the last week of January. Speaking on controversy surrounding serving of non-veg food for youth festival he stated that, “When the food of school students is sprinkled with seeds of communalism, I am afraid to take up the assignment next time. The kitchen of the school festival has been close to my heart over the years. It has been considered a treasure. Communal allegations perturb me and it is not right on my part to take up the task any more’’. This is in fact sad as it was a tight slap on the face of ‘Namboothiri’ who has been a regular feature of youth festival for many years, who had provided food to lakhs of student. It becomes equally disheartening to note that non veg food has never been served at the State School Arts Festival since its beginning in 1956. Only vegetarian meals are served every year. The situation spiralled when people of ‘communist’ moorings created unnecessary trouble by stating that serving of non veg food is symbol of ‘Brahmanical Hegemony’ and these people wanted non-vegetarian food (halal meat) to be served in the festival. This controversy is happening at the same time when left is silent on numerous deaths across the state which is related to ‘Halal foods’ prepared in unsanitary conditions in Kerala.
As soon as ‘Namboothiri’ faced backlash for serving vegetarian food many organisations as well as politicians rallied behind him. Some even cited the recent deaths blamed on food poisoning after consumption of Arabian non-vegetarian dishes to bolster their logical arguments. Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan said the LDF government in Kerala “has surrendered before religious extremists, who go by the dictates of terrorists”. “The government should withdraw from the move to keep Pazhayidam out over his caste. The Chief Minister should make clear whether extremists shape his government policy,” Rajasekharan said. Opposition leader V D Satheesan accused the government of creating “a dangerous communal environment” around the school festival. “If the government wanted to introduce non-veg, why did it create a situation insulting the caterer over his caste? This issue has eclipsed the beauty of the festival. At any cost, we cannot agree with the food controversy which has polarised society,’’ the Congress leader said. Realising the dangers of ‘beef festival’ turning to ‘pork festival’ really soon even Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had to criticise the left for mixing politics with youth festival. A campaign against the caste of caterer Namboothiri, criticising “Brahminical hegemony” over the school festival – seen as mainly led by pro-Left circles – was a first for the gathering, whose 61st edition. The rise of the BJP and apprehensions over the party on ‘Hindus uniting for common cause’ in the state with its high minority population was seen as one reason for politicisation of the issue. The other was the venue of the festival, Kozhikode, considered the capital of non-vegetarian food in the state. Sivankutty added fuel to the fire when he said that he would have liked to serve biryani to the children at the festival. This entire incident tells a tale about radical left catering to demands by ‘Islamic-Communists’ in Kerala while at the same time trying to divide Hindu community on basis of caste for electoral benefits.
Left has done it again
The left in Kerala has a dangerous trend of associating anything Hindu as something to be fought and hated. The left takes the direct opposite stance if the situation is related to minorities in the state. This is not the first-time left is waging war against the Hindus in the state. The left in the state is remaining silent when ‘Halal foods’ are killing people and becoming revolutionaries when vegetarian food is served. When did vegetarian food become ‘pro-Hindu’ and when did eating Cow (a sacred animal for Hindus) becoming a tool to fight BJP? The actions by the left are absurd and the consequences of these actions will be immense. One wonders and asks, if the left want to fight communalism why don’t they serve pork in youth festival to hoist the banner of ‘secularization of food’ and why don’t they ban ‘Halal food’ for the same purpose as ‘Halal food’ is religiously prepared food and is against secularism. But the left won’t act, they showed their character in case of ‘Sabarimala’ and they did it by killing Cows just to prove their point (even PETA were missing then). Now, they target the Hindus again to further their war on the majority to appease minority. It is now or never and Hindu’s must realise that.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion and it should be protected to help its followers to protect its existence and heritage. Hinduism as a religion has survived since time immemorial, it has survived from the days of Islamic invasion of the sub-continent (destruction of temples and forceful conversions) to colonial subjugation of Indian culture by the European colonists (example of Christian inquisition in Goa to Lex Loci Act by the British). It has survived the forceful conversion of its religious places to the wrongful narration of its history. Thus, it’s high time we must understand this evil trend and fight against false propaganda by observing the truth behind these events. The qualities of the Hindu community in maintaining tolerance and acceptance in this land making this a plural nation must be cherished. This indeed is vital for the long and sustained existence of this beautiful republic of ours in a world of religious autocracies and unhindered religious violence.
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