The latest victim of BJP's wrath is the humble momos, a street delicacy the people of this country have set their heartbeats on.
Lawyer and BJP legislater of Jammu Ramesh Arora has been seeking a ban on the dumplings citing health reasons, reported the Hindustan Times. He has said that Momos contain the carcinogenic monosodium glutamate or Ajinomoto which are harmful for the body.
“Momos have been found to be the root cause of several life-threatening diseases, including cancer of the intestine,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
“Ajinomoto, a kind of salt, causes serious diseases, including cancer. It is responsible for converting a minor headache into migraine,” he reportedly said.
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The MSG attained notoriety in the late sixties after a report claimed it could trigger headaches, numbness and skin flushing. It was blamed for what became known as “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”. According to the American Chemical Society, “MSG can temporarily affect a select few when consumed in huge quantities on an empty stomach, but it's perfectly safe for the vast majority of people.”
“Even though momo traces its roots to Nepal, Tibet and Bhutan, it is similar to what the Chinese call baozi and jiaoz. Both are dumplings that are stuffed with pork, beef, shrimp, vegetables or even tofu. Though these are integral to the Chinese, it is commonly found in most parts of Asia.”
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Arora is a strong advocate for banning not just momos but the 'cancer-causing' Chinese cuisine altogether. Chinese food and momos is one of the most loved street foods by many in the North and North-eastern areas of the country.
It would be wise for him to focus on educating vendors about avoiding flavor enhances like MSG in food rather than threatening food vendors who are currently able to earn a modest income, thanks to the thriving demand for Chinese cuisine, especially momos.
BJP's industrious efforts in enforcing the food habits of one specific culture has been facing backlash from non-cow belt states. Recently RSS leader Indresh Kumar said meat causes diseases but milk cures. Kumar appealed to the Muslims to give up eating 'ghosht' (meat) as it is a 'beemari' (disease) and include cow milk in their sherbets.
Keeping in mind that all parts of India have a distinct identity and culture including food habits which are sometimes radically different from other states, BJP's attempt to enforce food choices that go in concurrence with one particular culture has been called a violation of basic human rights that should not and can not be tampered with.
From an explicit beef ban to a ban on cattle sale for consumption to reports of parent party RSS' leaders urging Muslims to quit meat as it's sinful, the party has been tirelessly attempting to promote vegetarianism, leading to what many have perceived, a cultural clash.
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However, Arora's war against momos may not end favourably considering the vast popularity momos enjoy that could easily even overshadow the party's.
