Monday, February 12, 2007

whither the desi burger?








lovers of street food are in for a rude shock.the latest order banning cooking at street-side eateries has come like a bolt from the blue.this order was given by a bench of the supreme court while finalising the hawking plan for new delhi. no doubt the honbl'e court is driven with the desire to make the streets of delhi clean and to insist on more hygienic street food.will preparing the food in their homes by hawkers,prepackaging them and then selling it in the streets reduce the incidence of health problems? i am not too sure. the populace of mumbai are so addicted to their favourite vadapav with its mashed batata and vada in a bun combo prepared sizzling hot right in front of their eyes that nothing else is going to satisfy them. i am sure that applies to delhiites as well.

the solution does not lie in banning streetside cooking.but in bringing in some checks and controls for ensuring safety and hygiene. there are many more fundamental changes which have to be brought about before the common consumer is deprived of his favourite snack nay food. would it not be better for the judiciary to stick to the knitting and not intervene in what clearly is the job of the executive.

will the honb'le judges in their black robes condescend to walk just a short distance from their hallowed benches and try some desi burgers? maybe there could be a change of heart.

4 comments:

david mcmahon said...

Shock, horror - no roadside food? I didn't know about the ban.

gs said...

well david,this is applicable at the moment only for new delhi.as the sc is in the process of finalising the hawker's zones.but how far would this be practicable is to be seen.

Lotus Reads said...

Ohhhh, that is sad news, I hope it doesn't come to be. What would any of our Indian cities be like without our food hawkers? I ate bhel puri and wada pav from the group of vendors by RamKrishna Mission in Santacruz ( I am told they are still there) as did my mother before me and I cannot bear to think a similar law, like the one passed in Delhi, might require them to move elsewhere or stop hawking altogether, this is so depressing!

I love the pictures, gs!

gs said...

thanks lr for your comments.the latest sc ruling is very sad.the order stops cooking on the streets but not selling within notified zones.i have not studied the order and am not be able to commnet more on this.implementation of the order is going to be very difficult.hopefully better sense will prevail!