RISE OF THE VEGGIELANTES

RELIGIOUS VIGILANTES ARE OPENING NEW FRONTS OVER MEAT-EATING EVEN THOUGH MORE THAN HALF THE COUNTRY IDENTIFIES AS NON-VEGETARIAN

- DHAVAL S. KULKARNI, Arkamoy Datta Majumdar, Avaneesh Mishra & Rahul Noronha

Tucked into the bustling lanes of College Street in Kolkata is an unassuming meat shop that old-timers say is more than a hundred years old. Inside it sits an idol of Maa Kali, the fierce and beloved goddess of Bengal. Each morning, she is propitiated with flowers, incense and chants; later in the day, she presides over business—the fresh mutton and other cuts sold over the counter. Outsiders may find this form of ‘Kasai Kali’ jarring but, for Bengalis, it’s a seamless expression of faith and co-existence. As Bantu Singh, a shop fixture now, explains, “People don’t understand our culture. When videos of our shop were posted online, many asked, ‘How can there be an idol ina meat shop?’ It’s hard to explain to them.”

But that which needs no explanation within Bengal—a riverine civilisation that has long celebrated its fish, meat and goddesses—is increasingly coming under scrutiny outside it. A recent incident in New Delhi's Chittaranjan Park, a predominantly Bengali locality, has ignited a fierce debate over culture, food and faith. Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra put out a video on social media showing a group of saffron-clad men confronting fish vendors near a Kali temple, telling them that selling fish near a place of worship was an affront to ‘sanatan dharma’.

Moitra condemned the incident, calling the individuals “BJP goons” and accusing them of imposing a homogenised cultural norm alien to Bengal’s ethos. “Never in 60 years (of CR Park) has this happened,” she commented below the video before wading into how food habits are now being policed by right-wing elements.

The ruling BJP, however, rejected Moitra’s allegations. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva called the video “fake and manipulated”, and accused Moitra of attempting to sow disharmony. He also demanded a police investigation into the video's “authenticity”.