'Food imposition' on Vande Bharat? NS Madhavan's X post sparks heated debate

Kochi: Malayalam writer N S Madhavan has triggered a heated debate online with a tweet on the snack menu on Vande Bharat Express trains. In a post on X on April 15, Madhavan questioned the lack of South Indian cuisine on the semi-high-speed train, terming it a form of "food imposition". The former IAS officer remarked in the context of the ongoing debates about language imposition in the country.

Sharing an image of the snacks served onboard the Bengaluru-Coimbatore Vande Bharat, which included packaged items like chiwda, instant masala tea and samosa, Madhavan wrote, "They speak about language imposition. What about food imposition? Typical snacks served in South Indian Vande Bharat trains. This one from Bengaluru-Coimbatore VB." The tweet quickly gained traction, with netizens endorsing or questioning Madhavan's logic.

Madhavan’s post highlighted a perceived bias in Vande Bharat's catering policy, arguing that the menu does not reflect the country's culinary varieties. Many X users echoed the writer's view, emphasising the need for regional representation in train menus. “Yeah, this is actually intriguing, central government or railways never gave any attention. Anyway, these caterers don’t know how to cook food—either North Indian or South Indian,” one said. Another added, “I’m from North/West India, and though I personally do not have any specific food preferences, I agree that trains serving a particular region should take into account the region's dietary preferences.”

Those on the other side of the debate questioned the framing of the issue as "food imposition." One user remarked, “We get idli from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, no one cries imposition,” suggesting that South Indian dishes are widely available across India. Another quipped, “99% of restaurants in the North serve Idli-Dosa as staple items. Food imposition saar." Some argued that the focus should be on improving overall food quality rather than regional representation.

Madhavan has been a vocal critic of the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre's alleged attempts to impose Hindi as a prominent language in non-Hindi-speaking regions of the country. At the India Today Conclave South 2018 held in Hyderabad, he pointed out that attempts to impose Hindi were being made subtly. He cited the decision to use Hindi numerals while printing new currencies post-demonetisation as an example of the subtle language imposition. "This is against the official language policy of the Government of India," the writer said then.

He also argued that the three-language formula was not implemented in the right spirit from 1968 onwards. “The three-language formula said that in Hindi-speaking states, Hindi, English and any language other than Hindi, but preferably a south Indian one should be used. And in other parts of the country, Hindi, English and a regional language should be there. But in implementation, the CBSE has promoted Hindi, English and any other language. As a result, you can pass out from Kerala without studying Malayalam. This way of indirectly promoting Hindi, and of pumping a lot of money into (promoting) Hindi, has affected Malayalees also,” Madhavan argued, according to a News Minute report.