By Rupali Karekar
Assistant to Editor
rupsk@sph.com.sg

 

ANCIENT Indic philosophy has a mantra which one goes thus: ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ - which means ‘The whole world is but one big family’. The sages, I think, got it right. So did Jason Mraz when he sang: "We are one big family".

One definition, almost perfectly suited for contemporary families, is a one-liner by an Anonymous author, which I read recently. “Families”, the author has said, “Are like fudge - mostly sweet ... with a few nuts.” 

I was reminded of this after reading about a group of politicians in Italy, who encouraging locals to eat only Italian and throw out ethnic cuisines like kebabs, “to protect local specialties” and to “safeguard (Italian) culture”. 

Talk about nuts in my fudge!

First of all, let us look at what is being “protected”. That would be local foods like pastas, spaghettis and pizzas among others - which have long since ceased to be “local”, and have carved a niche for themselves on the global food map. 

Eateries around the world will have at least one of the above three Italian specialties on their menu. In fact, they are the staple diet of a particular species on this planet- teenagers. 

These cuisines will never ever make it to the list of “endangered foods”. So, frankly, they don’t need protection.

Secondly, what are these politicians trying to “protect” them against? Those would be cuisines like kebabs, sushi and Chinese foods, which are nothing but distant cousins of the good-food family. They are in the same culinary league as these Italian masterpieces, not trying to steal their thunder, but providing a welcome change to the taste buds of any average human being.

Pragmatic people in Italy have rightly called this strange campaign “gastronomic rascism” and “culinary ethnic cleansing”. If this is true, then the trend is truly worrying.

Italy is facing some of the most serious and violent crimes in recent years, mostly blamed on the illegal migrant population. Italians are looking to their leaders to safeguard the people and their interests from rogue elements of every kind.

But politicians - be it of any country or under any circumstances - always miss the point and take a direction which leads to more divisions within a social framework. I should know, I come from India.

Surely there are other ways to deal with security and cultural safety of a society - like proper implementation of law, cultivation of a sense of responsibility among the populace, and punishment for those who do not abide by the rules. 

Singapore is an example of how a multi-cultural society lives harmoniously. Here, a nasi lemak entices me as much as a chicken rice or a roti prata. Expats like me have the power of choice - and not just in the matters of food either. 

In these trying times, when the world needs to unite against the threat of terrorism and work together to overcome the immediate hurdle of recession, such short-sighted, polarising decrees by a group of vote-hungry politicians should be condemned and disobeyed altogether. 

Depriving the people of variety, good taste and pure joy (culinary or otherwise) is hardly the right way to show disapproval or deal with unruly elements in the society. 

It’s time to throw out the distasteful nuts and truly enjoy the fudge.