U.P.’s food menu without kababs
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Which is the most delicious kebab in India? There may be many answers, but it is impossible to make a list without mentioning the soft Tunde and Galouti kebabs served in the stalls of the ancient alleys of Lucknow.
But the food gurus of the Government of Uttar Pradesh seem to have no problem ignoring — and effectively erasing — the food diversity of the state. Even a glance at the much-vaunted ‘One District, One Dish’ scheme implemented by the UP government reveals no trace of Tunde or Galouti kebabs, Awadhi or Muradabadi biryanis, Handi Mutton from Azamgarh, or Mutton Khurma from Rampur; the entire list is strictly vegetarian.
The stated aim of the scheme is to provide better branding and marketability to local dishes — 208 dishes from 75 districts, including edible oils, have been included in it. However, dishes that have enhanced the brand value of Uttar Pradesh across the world have been excluded without hesitation. Eminent food historian Pushpesh Pant has described this as a “half-baked, discriminatory move”. After the issue came to light and sparked discussion, Rajesh Sachan, Minister for Khadi and Rural Industries, clarified that this is not the final list and that changes and additions could be made with the Chief Minister’s approval based on public opinion and suggestions.
For those who have been observing the rise of Hindutva fascism in the country and the policies and positions adopted by the Yogi Adityanath-led government over the years, this action would not appear unnatural or unusual. The vandalising of roadside biryani stalls — long a refuge for low-income people, including workers and youth — and the intimidation and assault of vendors have become so common in North India that such incidents often no longer qualify as news. Attempts have also been made to portray the sale and consumption of meat and meat products as heinous crimes. Even in West Bengal, which often prides itself on a legacy of enlightenment unlike much of North India, the world recently witnessed the demolition of meat stalls with bulldozers during celebrations following a BJP victory. Attempts in Uttar Pradesh to impose the bizarre rule requiring food vendors on routes used by Kavadi pilgrims to publicly display their names were temporarily halted only because of the vigilance of a few civil rights and media activists and the intervention of the judiciary.
This list is another weapon wielded by an administration that has moved forward by excluding Muslims from cabinets and candidate lists, denying them participation in governance, distorting historical truths, and erasing socio-cultural symbols. Part of this project is the eagerness to stamp out even the Urdu language — enriched through the combined contributions of celebrated writers ranging from Munshi Premchand and Ratan Nath Sarshar to Gulzar — and to brand it solely with a Muslim identity. Those who could not tolerate the ‘Mughal’ in the name of Mughal Sarai Railway Station and renamed it Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Junction can hardly be expected to show tolerance towards Mughlai cuisine.
Uttar Pradesh is a land where a communal mob broke into an elderly man’s house and beat him to death over allegations that he kept beef in his refrigerator. It is a land where such mob violence can recur at any moment. Uttar Pradesh, which has excluded native meat dishes from the country’s official food list and which desecrates human dignity in the name of cattle protection, has another striking distinction: it is the state that exports the largest quantity of meat in the country.
