Most of you
will not have been to Aditi Restaurant (Pure Veg) in Parel, Mumbai – after all,
it isn’t owned by Sachin Tendulkar, it doesn’t serve a famous platter and it
isn’t run by a legendary local chef. Yet Aditi has succeeded where high-profile
others – such as child rape, acute poverty, political vitriol and a struggling
economy have not – it has actually moved the government into action! After
printing on its bills comments that were regarded by some to be libellous,
workers of the Indian Youth Congress forced the owner to shut the restaurant
and lodged an official police complaint. The owner subsequently apologised, of
course – he wanted his livelihood more than he wanted change, which is
understandable, considering what happens to Indians who want sweeping change.
Think Anna Hazare (and Rakhi Sawant).
"As per UPA government, eating money (2G, Coal, CWG scam) is a necessity and eating food in an AC restaurant is a luxury."
The issue has
turned into what I can safely describe as a fiasco. On one hand, many people
have jumped at the chance to be heard, commenting strongly on the libellous and
disgraceful nature of the alleged insult. Yet this has resulted in some rather
embarrassing conflicts of interest that so inimitably personify the aromatic
concoction that is Indian politics. Narendra Modi – Gujarat CM and the man most
certain to be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate next year – said on
twitter, “Height of Intolerance.” Embarassingly, however, the Wall Street
Journal reports that some grassroots BJP representatives vociferously expressed
their dissent with the actions of the Congress by shouting slogans outside the
restaurant. I can hardly imagine the press brief being prepared in some secret
corner of the country right now, which probably reads thus: “Owing to an
unfortunate concatenation of circumstances, grassroots BJP personnel protested
outside Aditi restaurant. We find the Congress responsible for this as it is
the congress-led government’s responsibility to inform all citizens, regardless
of whether or not they are BJP members, of the thoughts of Shri. Narendra Modi.
Their failure to do so further underlines their failure as a government. As a
well-structured, organised party with many supportive allies, the BJP is the
best choice to govern the country today.”
Of course, it
would be a crime for me not to discuss whether what the restaurant did was
actually wrong – a contentious claim. On one hand, the restaurant owner would
argue that the congress harshly taxed him and he lost money as a result. On the
other hand, the congress representatives will submit that the claims in the
first part of the statement are false and baseless and that the restaurant
operator is subject to strict proof of the same (picked up thanks to a legal
internship). Hard to decide, on the face of it, who holds the aces. Very
likely, neither side holds the aces. The BJP may say they hold the aces. Anna
Hazare may say the Lokpal Bill holds the aces. Jayalalithaa may demand more
Cauvery water from Karnataka contend that the Dravidian population holds
the aces. The only thing that is certain is that the person that actually holds
the aces has never seen the letter A in his life.
In conclusion
though, I would like to make up for my BJP bashing earlier in this post raise
a serious issue. Admittedly, it isn’t in anybody’s best interests to allow
something that is considered defamatory. However, present-day India is plagued
with much more serious issues – it is, for example, inconceivable that a person
who earns ₹34 a day can be considered to be
above the poverty line. It is also highly unacceptable that MBBS seats in
Andhra Pradesh have recently gone on sale to the highest bidder. It is India’s
– and my – hope that priorities will be set. Otherwise we will have to resort
to desperate measures. Such as tattooing “I hate UPA/NDA/DMK/BSP/TMC/NCP/JDU/BJD”
onto the arm of every rapist out there to attract some administrative
attention.
- Chap
(We're back)
- Chap
(We're back)
