2024-09-24 11:26:23
Abhilash Gaur : For the past few days, Hindus who have never been near the Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, have been trying to remember the last time their neighbours or family members brought prasad from the temple. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claim that the ghee used to make the temple’s famous laddus was adulterated with tallow (beef fat) and lard (pork fat), among other things, has shocked the entire nation. However, this politically charged revelation has raised more questions than answers. Here’s a look at 10 such questions that common people want to know the answer to today
1. Why is 1857 being discussed?
The last time someone uttered the words pig fat and cow fat together, there was a revolution. Cartridges filled with pig and cow fat are believed to have fuelled the 1857 revolt. Therefore, such claims must be made with a lot of responsibility. However, Naidu’s claim is based on a report that ‘hints’ at the presence of fat and lard in the temple ghee, but does not confirm it. In fact, this report lists several circumstances under which such results could be obtained without the presence of these offending animal fats. For example, if cows are fed oil cakes, the composition of their milk and ghee may change. Therefore, the question arises whether Naidu should have circulated a potentially inflammatory report without being 100% sure? Since the lab tests were conducted in July, his government had enough time to analyse the ghee samples further.
2. What is the connection between Vadodara and Amravati?
Union Health Minister JP Nadda has taken the Tirupati controversy seriously. He said he has asked Naidu to send the lab report for further action. This sounds like a good thing if you don’t know that the test was conducted by the Vadodara-based Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF). In 2017, it was the only lab in India certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards to analyse milk and milk products. The lab can conduct chemical, microbiological and genetic tests. But why did Nadda need to go through Naidu when the lab is run by the National Dairy Development Board, which is under the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying? In fact, instead of playing fax-fax when Naidu made his revelation, they could have called the lab’s scientists to Delhi for a round table discussion.
3. Why did Naidu not complain earlier?
The question is, Naidu’s TDP was in the opposition when the alleged spoilt ghee was found at the temple. Its leaders claim that devotees had been complaining for months that the laddus were smelly and tasted bad. When they saw that the previous state government was not paying heed to these complaints, why did Team Naidu not send a box of laddus to the same lab before being elected to run the state? This should have been fairly easy with the BJP its ally at the Centre. It seems strange that a shrewd politician like Naidu did not use the issue to embarrass the previous YSRCP government.
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4. Only the ghee maker was held guilty?
In a country where people are often beaten to death on suspicion of possessing beef, the alleged maker of ghee contaminated with pig fat and cow fat has been let off easily. According to reports, the firm has been blacklisted and its stock has been returned. Is this normal? Normally, factories that have violations are sealed and their stock seized for investigation. The same cheap mixture that was sold to the temple in the name of ghee may be available in retail shops right now.
5. How can we get cheap ghee in this inflation?
Common sense says food prices are rising in India. The RBI also agrees. So how did temple officials believe it was possible to get cow-milk ghee at ₹320 per kg in 2023? Presumably, the lord-in-laddu season began when the temple ditched Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) iconic Nandini brand and switched to cheaper alternatives through an open tender in August last year. KMF had quoted ₹324 per kg in 2015, when Maharashtra-based private dairy Govind Milk and Milk Products got the Tirupati order by quoting ₹276 per kg. Eight years later, when, according to an Indian Express report, cow ghee costs manufacturers around ₹500 per kg, a private company offered ghee at ₹320 per kg, and the temple board believed it!
How did beef and pig fat reach Tirupati Laddu? The British also tried to corrupt Sanatan Dharma by using greased cartridges
6. Why are you choosing the cheaper one?
Imagine, if instead of making laddus for the temple, you were making coffee and you were the world’s most famous coffee chain, would you buy the cheapest coffee beans or the best coffee beans? Naidu has said that Lord Venkateswara of Tirupati is the ‘greatest asset’ of the people of Andhra Pradesh. So, if you are a trustee of the deity and your job is to make his prasad, should your guiding principle be the lowest price or the highest quality? Especially when the laddus are also sold to devotees and have a GI (geographical indication) tag. Also, it earns crores? For now, the temple has resumed buying Nandini ghee at Rs 475 per kg, but will it still focus on quality?
The change in brand of Ghee is the reason behind Tirupati’s Laddu controversy, Karnataka’s Nandini and Tamil Nadu’s Dairy came into the limelight
7. Temple management is not responsible?
There is one aspect of the current controversy that no one is talking about. The Tirupati temple runs one of the largest kitchens in the world. It is even bigger than some famous snack manufacturers. In 2017, under pressure from a Bengaluru activist, it even took out a food safety license. In fact, it is responsible for ensuring that the laddus it serves or sells are safe and unadulterated. However, it has washed its hands of the matter by blaming the ghee supplier. If any McDonald’s product was found to be adulterated, everyone would be out for its blood. Isn’t it time to hold the temple kitchen management accountable for their products?
The matter of mixing beef and pig fat in Tirupati laddus heated up, now the Center has sought a report from Andhra Pradesh
8. Mandatory rules of the test?
This raises another question. Temples are central to Indian lifestyle. Every village has one or more temples. Every housing society has a temple. Cities have many large temples, and some of these larger ones have regular kitchens to prepare prasad and community meals. Unlike neighbourhood temples, whose occasional ‘langar’ is overseen by community members, large temples are run by impersonal committees that may be more concerned about cost than quality. Should they be required to regularly submit their prasad and other food samples to a lab for testing?
Annual revenue of 500 crores from the sale of Tirupati Laddus, know how old is the history of ‘sweet Prasadam’
9. One nation, one mother?
There is indeed outrage over the allegation of adulterated laddus, but as the Kerala unit of the Congress pointed out on X on September 20, some of these are clearly artificial. Given that beef is a matter of controversy in itself, and now it has been linked to prasadam, shouldn’t political parties refrain from fuelling tensions?
10. When will we know?
Now that the allegations have been made and the seeds of doubt have been sown, the most important question is when can we expect a definitive answer? A week, a month or two months? How long will it take to do all the tests and be absolutely sure that the ghee used to make Tirupati laddus was adulterated with lard, fat and fish oil?