Prof. Narendra Nayak’s open letter to T. V. Mohandas Pai

Prof. Narendra Nayak’s open letter to T. V. Mohandas Pai

Mangalore Today News Network

Dear Paimam,

Namaskaru.  I am writing to you for the second time. If you will kindly recall the last time I had written to you was when you opposed the celebration of Tipu Jayanthi since you felt that he had committed a lot of atrocities on Konkani speaking people. That time I had reminded you about a number of such committed by the Portuguese who had converted relatives of our ancestors as Roman Catholics by force and various methods to make them jaath bhrasht. One of them was feeding them beef.

Only those who managed to escape remained as GSBs and we have descended from them. Some of us have remained true to the spirit of those times and I think you are among them. I am not, as I have eaten beef and continue to do so. But it is said that I am a GSB since I am born in that community. However let me leave that matter alone. You are a supporter of satvik food as a trustee of the Akshay Patra Foundation which boasts of being the largest organization in the field of feeding children. Well congratulations on that. However, the title has to be amended as it is the largest organization feeding satvik food to children! One of the conspiracies associated with this satvik business was the opposition to providing eggs for the school children.  To pre-empt that and to deprive the children of such good source of protein has taken over the role of providing meals to school children and claim that you cannot boil eggs as it is against your principles. So, you can call yourself as the largest provider of satvik meals! Anyway you have succeeded in that. On the other hand I saw a tweet by you yesterday that people have a right to choose their own food. While I appreciate your stand on that, I fail to understand how the organization of which you are a trustee imposes its satvik food rules on children. This in particular when a source of good quality protein like the egg was introduced your organization was the first to oppose it. I also feel that this is part of a conspiracy to keep out the dalits and OBCs from the food preparatory chain. If I am wrong about it I would be grateful to be contradicted by figures about number of dalits and OBCs employed in the direct handling of food- both cooked as well as the ingredients.

Look food is personal right,preference citizens!The State legislates as public policy oncow slaughter.24 of 29 states ban freecow slaughter https://t.co/VsDj0Br1m3

— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) June 1, 2017

I do not decide for others; I make my own choices,for myself,make my views known,I do not impose views on others; all are free make choices https://t.co/oM8VMB4BNC

— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) June 1, 2017

However this leaning towards satvikicity, if I may be permitted to use the term does not apply to your business interests! Because, you are the owner of Licious which supplies meat to anyone who orders for it fresh and juicy within a set time limit! Besides, I am told that your family owns a restaurant called as 154 breakfast club which serves items like beef burger and the fat boy which contains a beef patty! Which means, that you are doing to others exactly what was done to some of our ancestors, by the Portuguese to convert them to Christianity! Very sad indeed that a person who was out to correct historical wrongs is doing the same- perhaps you can recall what George Santayana said - those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it! So, I think by forgetting the past you are repeating it! Or is that the satvik diet that you are promoting through ISKCON is only for the children of the poor who study in govt. schools to perpetuate their malnourished status?

If you will recall the typical amchigele phrase- kitle phayde assare? You will find an explanation for your hypocrisy while on hand rooting for Hindutwa and gaumata, on the other quietly selling the preparations made from the meat of the very same mother who is to be worshipped. Promoting satvik low protein diet for growing children while supplying fat and protein rich food to the over nourished affluent sections to promote your businesses.

If you value your convictions of satvik diet, gaumata worship and all such you should forthwith give up these tamasik businesses and confine yourselves to promotion of satvik diet may be you can start joints selling dali toi, bibbe upkari, mogge koddel and such vegetarian specialties of the GSBs.

With saprem namaskars

Yours truly

Narendra Nayak

National President of Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA)