In India, discussions over cultural imposition have grown more common in recent years. The imposition of Hindi has frequently sparked complaints from southern states, who see it as a danger to their linguistic identity. The conversation has now expanded to include culinary preferences in addition to language. When a Malayalam author criticised the Vande Bharat Express food on the Bengaluru-Coimbatore route, a recent dispute arose.
A writer from Malayalam slams They talk about linguistic imposition in the Vande Bharat menu, which is served on the Bengaluru-Coimbatore line. How about imposing food?
The discussion of cultural imposition in India has expanded beyond language in recent years. The long-running argument over the promotion of Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking areas like Tamil Nadu and Kerala is still going strong, but a new perspective has emerged: food. Many South Indians believe that their distinctive culture is being marginalised in everyday spheres like food as well as in language.
When Malayalam author M.S. Madhavan expressed his dissatisfaction with the cuisine served on the Vande Bharat Express, which runs between Bengaluru and Coimbatore, on the social networking site X, this new issue was raised.
He shared a photo of the menu and wrote as we quote,
“They speak about language imposition. What about food imposition. Typical snacks served in South Indian Vande Bharat trains. This one from Bengaluru-Coimbatore VB.”
According to his post, the train snacks felt more North Indian in origin and did not represent South Indian culinary customs.
His comment immediately went viral on the internet. Like language, food is an essential component of one’s identity, according to several users who agreed with him. They believed that regional food preferences should be taken into account by central authorities, particularly when it comes to trains that pass through particular states.
It would be an understatement to suggest that this tragedy has added a new dimension to India’s ongoing cultural discussion.
Have a look at the whole tweet
Internet users responded in a wide range of ways in the comment section:
Online responses to the writer’s post were divided. While some users acknowledged the lack of attention from authorities and agreed that regional trains should offer local cuisine, others drew attention to the fact that South Indian delicacies, such as dosa and idli, are readily available throughout India and are not perceived as being imposed. Some completely rejected the matter, arguing that regional variety is less of a problem than bad railway food quality.
A wider conversation on cuisine, identity, and local pride swiftly emerged from the comment area. Check out some of the comments that are worth reading.
Bengaluru’s international airport welcomed the removal of Hindi from its digital display boards earlier this week on X:
The topic of linguistic imposition was already receiving attention before the argument against food imposition got hold. A widely shared post on X earlier this week praised the removal of Hindi from the digital display boards at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, advocating for the usage of exclusively Kannada and English instead.
In an effort to counteract Hindi’s hegemony in states where Hindi is not the primary language, many users backed the action. Particularly in Karnataka, this incident once again reopened the long-running linguistic controversy.
In contrast to the spirit of unity in variety, such instances frequently cause division throughout the nation. No culture, language, or culinary custom should be treated with indifference, and no group should feel as though they are being forced to adopt something. Only then can harmony really win out.
What do you think about the latest controversy about food imposition that is intensifying as a result of this X post? Please leave your objective opinions in the space provided below.
