Kottayam: Mohanan Namboothiri, an old-timer, will no longer come to state school arts festival venues to cook because the poisonous seeds of caste and communalism are being spread even in the food of teenagers.
Because he is a Brahmin, Mohanan Namboothiri, who was a Brahmin, has been criticized for not preparing meat food at the Kalatsavam. The former first responded to the controversies by saying that it does not care about the controversy and that the menu is decided by the government. However, after the end of Kalothsavam, on Sunday, he announced that he was retiring from Kalothsavam kitchen forever.
The reason for such a reaction?
Unnecessary controversies came in a way that made me feel worse. After fresh controversies erupted over the food, there was fear in managing the Kalotsava kitchen. When it comes to controlling the kitchen, it is difficult to move forward. It has been decided that tenders will not be given in arts festivals from now on. Cooking was done at the South Indian School Science Fair to be held at the end of this month in Thrissur. However, the organizers have been informed that there is no such thing.
Scared that much?
Racism is brought into the food and the caste of the cooks is discussed. There are some agendas behind the controversies. These are issues that need to be discussed broadly. From the second day of the Kalatsavam, I was afraid to control the kitchen. So the kitchen had to be guarded at night.
Do you feel that the government is not with you?
Never. The government has always supported me. No offense to anyone. Government has no objection to providing non-vegetarian food.
How do you see this problem?
It is not good to create a situation where such caste ideas are discussed even in the minds of children. It seems like giving medicine without finding the cause of the disease. I feel scared about where Kerala is going. Don’t think about me, people and media should think about the reason for such controversies.
Will non-vegetarian food come back if not included in festival venues?
Maybe, there might be. Believing that I am a universal brand in preparing veg food, I take a second thought decision.