First read THIS post by Veeresh Malik, then my blog post
Thank You..
Well, I know Veeresh for 5 years now, the title being musical, I came into contact with him & Jeanne Kennedy Nanda, via a YouTube Dance Music video. He's a crusader of sorts & is hard hitting at times on issues for the common man.
I start with the video of Rhinestone Cowboy 1st. Then the post.
The subject is Janata Meals MRP ₹15 on the Indian Railways.
My tryst with Indian Railways meals, started early in 1967, at the tender age of 7, on a train journey between Jodhpur & Jaipur, in an FC (First Class) Coupe .
The "coupe" looked like this. Remember Pakeeza? Beautifully described in THIS blog.
Chalo Dildaar Chalo Chand Ke paar chalo
At those times, India was still reeling under the hangover of "The British Raj" Waiters still wore the "Baira/Bearer "
Like this.
The Egg Sunny Side up, Bread Butter Toasted, & tea, in a set tray, containing Tea pot(covered by a cushion cover) milk & sugar pot was the standard breakfast. At Phulera Junction at 7 AM. Yum
Like this.
When I opened Facebook this Monday morning, I found this picture
Veeresh Malik changed his display picture.
I found people criticising Janata meals.
I posted the following comments.
" To those who call it Unhygienic I am that Sadist Aam Aadmi who enters Comesum/Food Plaza (the boutique food. Outfit at Old Delhi/New Delhi/Agra/Howrah/Mumbai Central / CST
A) Where their AC is never working.
B) Room Temperature there is always higher than temperature on the platform.
C) Where Janata Khana is NEVER Available.
D) Where
I the sadist , enters asks "5 Janata meals dena!" They feign ignorance.
I shout
Thump counter
Raise a hue & cry
Throw Tantrum
E) Suddenly meals appear out of the blue.
F) I pay ₹75
G) Hand over the 5 meals to poor people standing outside.
H) Show the manager my middle finger. & Walk Away.
For ignoramus.
Janata Meals is Indian Railways Food Packet
Mandatory to be kept at every food court as per Railway Budgets.
It contains
5 Puris
Seasonal Vegetable or ALU Sabzi
Lime Pickle.
Tasty
Hygienic
Sumptuous
Contains full food pyramid essentials
Tastier than the ₹75 lunch at Comesum.
"RK" the dreaded railway contractor runs most of catering outfits under IRCTC , on/off trains including Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto. has clout, muscle power to cow down every voice against him.
I hold a record of sorts. 113 complaints against his outfits . Introduced by Laloo no Railway Minister has been able to dislodge him.
Can the media take it up please?"
&
"
I'm sure the cardboard is bio degradable as compared to plastic tin packaging at KFC/CCD outfits there is rice paper inside."
Well we Indians praise the "Sarkari" Government subsidised stuff, &,praise outrageously priced atrociously insipid & unhealthy food stuff , dished out by private enterprises, without realising the fact that 85% of Indians can neither afford them nor relish the flavourless food.
There are two basic facts mentioned.
A) The food is unhygienic.
B) Food is unhealthy.
My two bits.
A) Indian fast food, whether it is Puri Bhaji, or Vada Pav, or Samosa, or Kachori, or Idli, or Dosai, Upma, pesarettu, hoppers, putty, nool-puttu(idiappams) dalia, sooji halwa, alu-chokha, porota-alu sum, luchi-alu dum, cannot be stored, 90% are deep fried, at 400° Centigrade, hence
I) Can never be stale as there is a continuous turnover of ingredients, which cannot be stored for long, taste stale if stored for more than 4 hours in subtropical hot high temperatures in the environment, hence it is always fresh.
II) On the contrary, Salads(washed in dirty water contain ecoli virus) Mutton Rolls, Mayonnaise Sandwiches(Coleslaw r Chicken) stink try Mongini's stuff and smell it before eating? Yuck! Pizza Hut toppings, McD burgers, KFC Chickens are deep forzen items, containing preservatives. Try keeping them in open air under sun for 60 minutes to know. Open Lemonade/Sugarcane juice is fresh, try keeping a food item tooth in any fizzy aerated drink for 6 hours & see what it does!
B) Indian fast food contains all the ingredients of the food mountain
Fats, Carbohydrates & Proteins.
Western pricey fast food contains MSG, mono sodium gluconate which causes. Colon Cancer. They contain preservatives, some of which are fatal.
The physical health of Indians prior to arrival of Western Fast food was better. There were no obese people, cardiovascular & endocronological diseases like Diabetes were less. The price of profits of these firms like Yum Foods owners of KFC, Pizza Hut & McD are paid by the Indian Tax Payer. I'm sure, you all remember the breakfast prepared by your Moms or Dads(in my case I do I & my Sister. , so do my sisters & my kids, all of whom, grew up eating "The Lunchbox" prepared by my late Achchan.
After I wrote my above comment, I read this beautiful blog by Veeresh, what made me happy, was, Veeresh too, gave away the "Janata Meals" to poor people, So did I, always on my Rail trips(which are quite frequent)
I leave you, with a clip, of the recent beautiful Hindi movie Ritesh Batra's "The Lunchbox"
How Nimrat Kaur's Lunchbox, changed the life of Irrfan Khan.
Tell you what, it always does.
They say, the road to a man's heart, passes through his stomach.
Amen.
