Close on the heels of a statement about foreigners eating beef in India made by newly appointment Union Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has come out with a Facebook (FB) post hailing the diversity of food habits in Kerala.
Onam, says the FB post, is a celebration that transcends caste and religious boundaries. The food served for Onam has its significance in the life of the Malayali as it encompasses and reflects the diversity of our culture.
North and south
While there are commonalities in the style of serving food, the items served varies with geography. The Onam feast is exclusively vegetarian in the south but in the northern parts of the State, it is incomplete without meat delicacies.
The diversity in food has strengthened with the democratisation of our society. There is no infringement in the State on the eating habits of the people. Be it veg, beef or fish, no restriction exists for natives or foreigners in matters of food. We can be proud of this fact that our society has matured in upholding the values of democracy, secularism, and modernity which even reflects through the food-liberty of every individual residing permanently or temporarily in Kerala . Let us preserve this cultural uniqueness of ours, the FB post reads.
By evening the post has been shared 109 times and notched up 958 likes.