Whereas Zomato’s announcement about its plan to launch a separate ‘Pure Veg Mode’ or curation of eating places that serve solely pure vegetarian meals together with a supply fleet with inexperienced uniforms triggered controversy, it additionally left foodies in Bengaluru divided.
Nonetheless, only a day after saying this, India’s largest meals supply agency on Wednesday scrapped the totally different uniform plan amid an enormous row with some criticising the transfer as “casteist” and others saying its common supply riders who put on pink can be harrassed.
Alternatively, the transfer has been welcomed by many who stated the “pure veg” part would simplify and improve their looking expertise, providing a hand-picked record of vegetarian eating places. They stated this might additionally assure that their orders are being ready in kitchens the place meat or seafood isn’t cooked, addressing a big fear for a lot of customers.
Whereas Bengaluru-based meals blogger Debolina Ray stated meals preferences are “greater than a life-style selection”, she additionally questioned the workings of cloud kitchens given this modification.
“Some people observe this as a dietary restriction, and having this filter as a selection is an effective factor to have for my part. There have been reported incidents of vegetarian people getting an unintentional rooster curry or items of their meals throughout supply and even dine-in at occasions. For eating places, that is pretty easy to demarcate,” stated Ray.
“Nonetheless, an attention-grabbing problem will come in relation to cloud/darkish kitchens. Will this classification be based mostly on the menu or precise kitchen, particularly since these locations may very well be functioning as a number of manufacturers?” she requested.
One other meals blogger, Naveen hailed the transfer and in addition shared another.
“We are able to have a double checker system and supply, like how while you get fuel cylinders they are saying it has been checked twice or thrice one thing like that. If they’ll provide you with that that’s effectively and good. Additionally, once they do all this, the eating places can cross-check once more or they’ll in all probability rent somebody to validate it earlier than delivering it to the shopper,” stated Naveen.
Criticising the transfer by Zomato, Anaan Farooq, a metropolis resident, identified it extends the “caste system”. “I feel the dietary preferences are okay however having separate luggage and separate drivers for simply pure veg eating places reinforces the purity tradition that comes with the caste system and I feel in 2024, that’s simply embarrassing.”
Inchara Deepak, a scholar, additionally talked concerning the “casteist perspective”. “I feel it’s two sides of a coin. On one hand, individuals are pure veg due to faith so that they don’t really feel comfy with meat touching any of their meals. You can not say that this initiative is dangerous as a result of many vegan folks additionally don’t like all dairy gadgets touching their meals or folks with allergic reactions to their meals being cross-contaminated with allergens. It’s a welcome initiative in that perspective because it permits people who find themselves pure veg to order meals at house,” stated Deepak.
“Alternatively, I can see it from a casteist perspective. You possibly can see in outdated metropolis maps that many neighbourhoods have been deliberate out with separate sections for pure veg castes in order that they have been utterly assured that their meals wasn’t blended with meat parts.”
(Muskaan Kousar is an intern with indianexpress.com)