Today, as political propaganda shapes social thinking, food habits have also become a tool of divisive political tendencies. It is alleged that Muslims are more violent in their tendencies as they consume non-vegetarian food. The issue of the Holy cow and beef consumption is also introduced, and we witnessed the phenomenon of lynching being introduced in India, in which primarily Muslims and also Dalits are the major victims.

Segregation in housing societies based on food habits is also prevalent, as societies check food habits before permitting the sale of flats. This was highlighted more recently in a complex way in West Bengal. It also raised questions about how quickly and under what limitations advice to prevent non-vegetarian food near the pooja pandals should be given. A section of society has also been advocating a ban on the sale of non-vegetarian food during the Jain festival of Paryushan.

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri's (Parchiwale Baba, whom Prime Minister Modi calls his younger brother) advice on this issue has drawn mixed reactions. Currently, West Bengal is celebrating its biggest festival, Durga Puja. Recently, the BJP came to power in West Bengal. The BJP's rising political assertiveness in West Bengal has already been accompanied by the promotion of Ram. For the BJP and its followers, promoting festivals around Ram is increasing. This move has yielded rich dividends in North India, reshaping the electoral landscape across the country.

As the BJP Government settled in West Bengal, the time for Durga Puja came. And the party in power invited Shastri of Bageshwar Dham. He had come to Howrah's Liluah for Hanuman Katha. He advised the people to keep non-vegetarian food away from Durga idols during the Puja. Similar advice was already proffered by the RSS affiliate VHP. This, in a way, has triggered a storm among Bengali Hindus, including those calling themselves "Hindu nationalists." Prominent Bengalis also issued statements and held protests saying Shastri should not teach them how to celebrate Durga Puja, what to eat, and what not to.

The reaction stemmed from the fact that fish, in particular, and goats are mandatory during the Durga festival. Many underlined that fish is crucial to Bengali culture, and the broader umbrella of Hinduism includes many traditions where non-vegetarian food is part of the ritual. Many, from former Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy to journalists and content creators, people from diverse sections, including those who described themselves as "Bengali Hindu nationalists," retaliated. "Don't tell a Bengali how to celebrate Durga Puja," Kolkata-based content creator Shreyasi Biswas Banerjee wrote on Facebook. In the attached video, Biswas underlined that an "outsider" was prescribing rules for a festival rooted in Bengal's distinct religious and culinary traditions. A few people even attacked Shastri's poster.

Suvendu Adhikari, who welcomed Shastri, attended a ceremony at a Durga temple and consumed the fish prasad. Many of them stated the importance of fish in Bengali culture. India is a country full of diversities in all matters: food, clothing, language and religion. Hindus also have many sects and many diverse food habits. We have Kashmiri Pandits for whom mutton dishes are an inalienable part of their culture. Food habits are shaped by multiple factors, with geographical location playing an important role. In coastal areas, seafood is an important part of their diet.

At the recent BRICS meeting gala dinner, only vegetarian food was served. Incidentally, Xi Jinping skipped this dinner, whatever be his reasons. While opposition parties criticised the decision to serve only vegetarian food to international guests, Kiran Rijiju defended it by saying the guests appreciated the menu. This also reflected the government's thinking that India is only about vegetarian cuisine. UP CM Yogi Adityanath recently published a map of important food items from all districts of UP; it was missing Lucknow's Tunde Kabab and showed only vegetarian items, as if UP consumes only vegetarian food.

In yet another incident, 14 Muslims were put behind bars for having Chicken Biryani at their Iftar party while having a boat ride on the Ganga River. Interestingly, some Hindus who consumed liquor during their boat ride were not touched at all. So many factors are at play in the BJP government's policies.

Despite knowing the fact that nearly 70% of Indians are non-vegetarians, vegetarianism is being promoted by the BJP government, and at some places successfully. In Gujarat, where the BJP has been in power for the last three decades, non-vegetarian joints have largely been made more or less invisible. Many people go to the restaurants near the Gujarat border and satisfy their craving for non-vegetarian food.

It is a dilemma for the BJP to keep balancing between Indians' prevalent food habits and their agenda of imposing vegetarianism. At every possible chance, they and their cohorts try to push forward vegetarianism. Somehow, the BJP associates non-vegetarianism with Muslims in particular, and this bypassing of non-vegetarian food, an essential part of Indian food habits, irrespective of the religion of the people, is facing this dilemma. They get away with this aggressive vegetarianism in places like Gujarat, while in West Bengal, they are facing such opposition. Shastri, the likes of whom have mushroomed heavily during the last couple of decades, is a supplement to RSS-BJP politics.

Shastri's attempt was in this direction, and his effort has been like sowing the seeds of particular food habits. Human society has evolved through various stages, and food habits have been very diverse. The aim of RSS-BJP and their political-cultural supporters remains to glorify vegetarianism purely for ideological reasons. There may be other reasons for promoting veganism or vegetarianism, but respect for people's food habits is the starting point for a democratic society. So, this Baba is facing flak for advocating a ban on non-vegetarianism. Maybe the BJP may continue in some other ways to persist with their vegetarianism, which supplements their 'Hate Muslim' agenda!