Kozhikode: Culinary expert Pazhayidom Mohanan Namboothiri on Sunday announced that he will not be returning to run the kitchen of the Kerala State School Kalolsavam from next year.
"Supervising the kitchen has become tiresome. I will not be cooking for the Kerala School Kalolsavam anymore," he said.
“I'm wondering how I will face a generation that scatters seeds of communal hatred even in matters concerning food in youthful verve. This makes me very uncomfortable," Pazhiyidom told Manorama News.
"The school fest kitchens were my treasure. However, when the new generation of sycophants come forward with these allegations, it is not right of me to hold on to that jewel," he said.
Several people had taken to social media to criticise the government's decision to serve only vegetarian dishes at the venue. Pazhayidom and his team have been preparing the meals at the school festival venue for the past 16 years.
"Over the past 16 years of school youth festivals, youth athletic meets and science fests, I have served food to more than 2.25 crore students. I am satisfied I was able to serve food to those tired participants after their performance," he said.
"But this allegation, which I think was targeted at me personally, has pained me a lot. I can understand if the allegation was against the quality of the food. But they should not have given a religious colour to it," Pazhayidom said.
"The State Government decides to serve vegetarian food at the school kalolsavam. If the government takes a call to include non-vegetarian food in the menu, then there was no scope for any complaint," he added.
"One reason for serving vegetarian food was due to the scale of events, the amount of participants and the continuous nature of the competitions. We have fed more people than was scheduled. While the total number of participants in the 61st kalolsavam was 9,000, more than 24,000 people have eaten lunch from kitchen. There are certain practical difficulties in preparing non-vegetarian food on this scale," Pazhayidom said.
"Yes I have served non-vegetarian food in the state athletic and games meet. Apart from that I have not taken an order for any meat preparation," he clarified.
"I have decided not to participate in the tendring process of the coming state youth festivals. Not just that I have decided to stay away from the South India Science Fair to be held in Thrissur from January 26 to 31," he told Manorama News.
"For the first time this year, we never allowed anyone inside the kitchen. That was because of the fear instilled in me by the attacks. I cannot perform with such fear, and that is why I have decided not to take part in kalolsavam," he added.
Writer and General Secretary of Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham Asokan Charuvil had said the Brahmin who cooks food is a contribution to the renaissance in Kerala.
Reacting to this, Congress Vice President V T Balram said that writer's statement seemed like a justification capsule. (Capsule is a term used in social media to mock those who come to defend the government's position blindly.)
The Congress leader said that in the future, at least, kalolsavam venues “should become places where non-vegetarian dishes cooked by Brahmins are also served”.
This year, the team under Pazahyidom served 2,000 people on the first day of the fest and 1,94,800 on the final day. The food was served four times everyday.
The team set a record by serving food to 26,500 people on Friday, the fourth day of the fest. 25,000 people were served food in the school fest held in Malappuram.