After a controversy broke out in May when the Tirupattur district collector took beef off the menu during a biryani festival, the Tamil Nadu state commission for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes on Monday said there should not be any kind of discrimination in events organised by the government.
“Such things should not happen in future events,” the commission said and sent a directive to state government officials.
A three-day “Ambur Biryani Festival”, scheduled to be held between May 12 and 15, was cancelled by the district administration citing heavy rain. The aim of the biryani festival was to get a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
The commission noted that district collector Amar Kushwaha had released a statement in which he had said the district administration, has arranged for a biryani festival at Ambur, proposing to exhibit more than 20 different items in stalls for sales to the public, and it specifically stated that beef biryani would be excluded.
Following complaints that excluding beef was discrimination on the basis of food and perpetuated untouchability, the state SC/ST commission had sought an explanation from collector Kushwaha. The commission on Monday said they accepted his explanation that it was not done with any intention of caste-based discrimination.
But, the commission also flagged that the collector had cited rain and postponed the event so he has said that their action won’t apply to him. The commission added that though it was disrespectful, they decided not to take action against him only because of his position and that would bring his respect down in front of the people he serves.
“While accepting the collector’s reply, the commission points out that beef biryani should not be avoided in a biryani festival organised by the government and if done so, it leads to discrimination,” a statement from the SC/ST commission said. They also forwarded the same to the chief secretary, home secretary and all senior officials from all districts that they should not give way to any such discrimination.
The ruling DMK’s ally Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi’s member had sent a complaint over the beef exclusion to the commission.
In Tamil Nadu, beef is not as integrated into its food culture as it is in neighbouring Kerala. However, both biryani and beef are widely consumed by the population. Biryani sellers have been hoping to get a GI tag for the famous Ambur biryani, which sells across the state.
The BJP did not want to react to the issue. The state BJP vice-president Naraynan Thirupathy told HT that the party does not have a comment on this, and it is the district authorities who are answerable.
The BJP, in its 2021 election manifesto for the assembly elections, had said that they would impose a ban on cow slaughter if voted to power.
