New Governor's instruction on veg only food in Lok Bhavan kitchen draws flak

Thiruvananthapuram:  Newly appointed Keralam Governor Om Prakash Mathur's directive that Lok Bhavan will henceforth cook and serve only vegetarian food in Raj Bhavan has triggered  strong reactions.  The instruction resulted in a situation whereby a newly governor kicks off his term by igniting controversy,  more so because Mathur had not been sworn in when he issued such an instruction to Lok Bhavan meaning all food served there should be vegetarian.

The first salvo from the political spectrum was fired by no less authentic a party official of the Congress than AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal. He termed the Governor's instruction an encroachment on citizens' rights and said it is only a continuation of the anti-Constitutional interests of the Sangh Parivar.

In a detailed Facebook post, Venugopal blamed the new governor for not understanding the sensitivities of the Keralite society. The post read:

"Even before assuming the office of Governor, an instruction was issued that no meat or fish should be cooked in the kitchen at Raj Bhavan. It is an act of gross overreach to issue a decree—hours before taking charge, and even before gaining an understanding of the social landscape of Kerala—that everyone here must become a vegetarian from the moment I assume office.

"Kerala maintains a diverse culinary culture. As a coastal state, it is also blessed with an abundance of sea food. Consequently, individuals here are free to choose either a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian diet. Any attempt to impose restrictions on the dietary habits to which Keralites are accustomed, or to dictate what they should eat, is entirely unacceptable. Such ultimatums—which intrude even into one’s food choices and seek to dismantle the unique lifestyle of the Malayali society—amount to nothing less than a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

"The very individual occupying a constitutional office—who is duty-bound to uphold the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including the freedom to choose what to eat and how to live—is now insisting that others adopt his personal dietary habits. By leveraging his authority, the appointed Governor is effectively stripping individuals of their liberty.

This is a continuation of the unconstitutional agenda of the Sangh Parivar, an organization that has long pursued a policy of encroachment. Those who have already undermined the democratic rights of citizens—by effectively 'stealing' their votes—are now setting out to snatch away our freedom of dietary choice as well.

"This marks the initial phase of implementing the Sangh Parivar’s 'saffron agenda' in Keralam. While there should be no hindrance to the Governor, as a vegetarian, followoing his own dietary preferences, it is entirely unacceptable for him to impose restrictions—such as mandating that the kitchen at 'Lok Bhavan' (where Keralam's natives are also employed) must operate solely in accordance with his personal preferences.

"It is plain for all to see that in states governed by the BJP, a situation has emerged where people are being killed over what they eat or the clothes they wear. The wounds inflicted upon the heart of our nation—incidents like the one in Dadri—remain with us even today. The intense communal propaganda and the expression of hatred toward the 'other'—orchestrated by the Sangh Parivar in various places, using food as a pretext—are now entering a new, more advanced phase. There is no doubt that these policies, implemented by the Sangh Parivar, will spread from their central hubs to every corner of the country; eventually, they will solidify into a form of hegemony, leading to a state of affairs where we lose our very sense of natural, authentic existence.

"Freedom of food choice is an individual right. The Governor of Kerala must refrain from any actions that obstruct this. He should bear in mind that he holds a position which entails ensuring the constitutional protection of the right to cook and eat whatever one chooses."

The FB post prompted spirited response both for and against the Congress leader's views.  It can also be said to strike a discordant note when Congress's chief minister VD Satheesan seems to have hit a bonhomie mode with the new boss in Lok Bhavan.  As for Mathur's dietary habit,  reports indicate that he has brought in Rajasthani cooks from his home state to prepare cuisine of his choice.  It is also pointed that the employees of Lok Bhavan are free to bring food of their choice from home and eat it there,  but fish and meat will be a stsrict no-no in the kitchen of Lok Bhavan.  That would also mean that the top officials who are served food there will henceforth have to be done with vegetarian diet which should also apply to banquets hosted by the Governor for guests only a few of whom will be vegetarians. 

Venugopal's post's oblique references to the  Sangh Parivar tradition is prompted by the BJP antecedents of Mathur.  Before taking up gubernatorial roles, Mathur was a BJP leader,  having worked as state secretary of the party for over a decade and state president for a couple of years.  He had also served as a pracharak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the start of public life.