Hating on Brahmins has become the new cool in otherwise secular and ‘diverse’ India, as evidenced by the recent online criticism of Sudha Murthy, the former chairperson of Infosys Foundation, writer, and philanthropist after she revealed that she carries her own bag of food and cooking items when travelling abroad because she is a pure vegetarian.
Sudha Murthy, known for her candour, opened up about her love of vegetarian food and her cooking habits in one of the episodes of the ‘Khane Mein Kya Hai?’ show. Murthy stated that as a strict vegetarian, one of her biggest concerns is the prospect of the same spoon being used for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items.
“I am adventurous in my work, not in my food. I am in fact scared. I am a pure vegetarian, I don’t even eat eggs or garlic. What I am scared of is, is that the same spoon might be used for both, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. It weighs heavily mind a lot! So whenever we go out, I only search for vegetarian restaurants. Or, I carry one bag full of food items. I carry ready-to-eat food items, that you have to just heat in water, I fry semolina and make it ready-to-eat, I also carry poha,” Murthy said.
Sudha Murty also stated that she has a kitchen bag that has a “small cooker” that she uses to cook food. Ironically, she would frequently chastise her grandmother for never eating outside or travelling with food, both of which she has begun to do herself.
“When my Nani (grandmother) would travel 60 years ago, I used to joke with her that why do you bring food with you, why can’t you eat outside?” She would say she was used to it! Now I act like her! “I don’t care where I go; I always bring my own food,” she continued.
Left-liberals brand Sudha Murthy ‘casteist’ for being a “pure vegetarian”
Sudha Murthy’s remarks during the show soon sparked a discussion online with usual self-proclaimed flag bearers of equality and feminism trolling and criticising Murthy over her choice of being a “pure vegetarian” as they connected it with her caste. The usual Brahmin-hating left-liberals unleashed their hatred for a Brahmin woman proudly owning up to her food preferences.
Asia Editor at The Independent, Rituparna Chatterjee in her tweet claimed that the couple—Sudha Murthy and her husband Narayan Murthy sound more weird and casteist as they speak more, insinuating that Sudha Murthy is casteist since she prefers to be a vegetarian, that too, “pure”.
“They say if you want to know about a person, let them speak. The more this couple speaks, the more weird and casteist they sound,” Chatterjee tweeted.
They say if you want to know about a person, let them speak. The more this couple speaks, the more weird and casteist they sound. https://t.co/rcjuQ3kri0
— Rituparna Chatterjee (@MasalaBai) July 25, 2023
Reacting to Chatterjee’s tweet, noted storyteller and journalist Neelesh Misra wondered how being vegetarian or carrying their own cutlery makes one casteist.
“Um, how is this casteist? I am vegetarian. When I dine my friends ensure that the serving spoon used for my food isn’t used for non-veg food. Non-vegetarians might not understand this but it is so. If she wants to take her own cutlery as well, fair enough, what’s wrong in that?” Misra tweeted.
Um, how is this casteist?
— Neelesh Misra (@neeleshmisra) July 26, 2023
I am vegetarian. When I dine my friends ensure that the serving spoon used for my food isn’t used for non veg food. Non vegetarians might not understand this but it is so.
If she wants to take her own cutlery as well, fair enough, what’s wrong in that? https://t.co/EMzcdR7vcl
One ‘Opinionated Bong’ Arpan resorted to abusing Misra for merely expressing his thoughts as he blatantly termed “vegetarianism as casteism.”
Vegetarianism is Casteism, you Misra Brahmin chutiya! https://t.co/DdPSAe8QVg
— Arpan (@OpinionatedBong) July 26, 2023
One ‘Grouchy Maxx’ shared a picture of the Prime Minister of Britain and Sudha Murthy’s son-in-law holding some non-veg food items as she wrote, “Someone tell Sudha Murthy not to touch her son-in-law, daughter and their kids.”
Someone tell Sudha Murthy not to touch her son-in-law, daughter and their kids. pic.twitter.com/rIdqOnIeL5
— Grouchy Maxx (@softgrowl) July 25, 2023
The reluctance to respect Murthy’s choice of being a pure vegetarian and her food hygiene preferences as well as connecting it with so-called discrimination adds to the insinuation that pure vegetarians consider non-vegetarians as ‘untouchable’ or inferior, even though Sudha Murthy did not mention any such practice on her part. It is, however, impossible for the liberals to comprehend that being a vegetarian is a choice just like being a non-vegetarian and has little to do with caste(ism).
One Ruchika Sharma shared an image of a news article about Sudha Murthy’s said interview and ‘fixed’ its headline as she wrote, “She carries her casteism from India when travelling abroad: What if non-veg spoon pollutes the “pure” Murthy name?”
"Sudha Murty says she carries her casteism from India while travelling abroad: What if non veg spoon pollutes the "pure" Murthy name?" Fixed it pic.twitter.com/vzbERaRDiw
— Dr. Ruchika Sharma (@tishasaroyan) July 26, 2023
Another one wrote, “My suggestion is that Sudha Murthy should travel solely in a pure veg plane that only uses rasam or sambar for fuel. Fossil fuels are derived from decomposing animals after all.”
My suggestion is that Sudha Murthy should travel solely in a pure veg plane that only uses rasam or sambar for fuel. Fossil fuels are derived from decomposing animals after all pic.twitter.com/MpzjRUCrjS
— IndiaExplained (@IndiaExplained) July 26, 2023
For some, vegetarianism is simply a food preference; for others, it is associated with the Hindu belief of Ahinsa (nonviolence); and many Jains practice vegetarianism in accordance with their religious beliefs; this, however, does not imply that they discriminate against nonvegetarians or impose their beliefs on them. People who choose not to slaughter an animal to quell their hunger understand how to respect other people’s eating choices and coexist peacefully.
In fact, reports suggest that contrary to common perception, vegetarianism has gained prominence among non-Brahmin castes as well.
Vegetarianism is casteism, Halal is religious freedom: The Liberal hypocrisy
The same people going mad over Sudha Murthy being a “pure vegetarian” often support Halal certification of food items, which is actually a practice discriminating against non-Muslims as it involves the imposition of their religious connotations on the ‘non-believers’.
Even with non-meat items, Halal certification is solely religious since it evaluates if the products include any components that are forbidden in Islam. The concept itself is discriminatory because the basis of the certification is a religious belief, whether a particular substance is ‘approved’ or not in the Islamic faith. However, liberals see nothing discriminatory in it; rather, they see a vegetarian woman who does not impose her beliefs and habits on others as discriminating. It’s also possible that these ever-outraged liberals bash vegetarianism yet defend or remain silent on Halal certification, knowing that the former will garner them validation from their ecosystem while the latter may have dire consequences.
