A yogi and the kebab

Kebab politics may be just one step but it certainly is a part of a larger conspiracy to rob India of its basic ethos of plurality

One may not need teeth to eat them but one sure needs buffalo meat. Therefore, when Nawab Asad lost his dentures and needed meat that would melt in the mouth rather than being chewed he hit upon a recipe for the famous galawati kebab. 

In Lucknow as in other parts of India galawati is more famous as galouti. Whether the recipe includes the famed 160 spices or not is a matter of detail but the kebab is legendary. It is also a must have as far as the cuisine of  Lucknow in India goes. 
Some say that it was Haji Mohammad Fakr-e-Alam Saheb, the creator of the moti pilaf, who made the first galouti kebab. Later on, each generation went on perfecting the shahi mixture, giving it a creamier, silkier texture.
Finally, it was Haji Murad Ali, one of the finest chefs of the time, who got the consistency right. It is said that Ali, who was working on perfecting the mixture of the shahi galawat, fell off the roof and broke an arm. Injury did not deter him and with one arm he pound the meat to perfection: into a fine paste that it would melt in the mouth. When the Nawab savoured it, he chose to ask who had made them and he was told they were Tunde ke kebab. Simpy put it meant that they were made by a one arm man. 
Tunda in Urdu means a person without an arm.
Ali’s son, however, was more enterprising than the father and eventually under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah set shop at the old Chowk of Lucknow in 1905 that became popular as Tunde Kebabi, a brand under which his generations have sold some of the best tasting kebabs including the one that galouti inspired: the Kakori Kebab.The main ingredient of the iconic kebabs is buffalo meat. 
Much to the chagrin of kebab lovers, the recently elected BJP led state government has sounded its death knell. Or at least that is how recent developments are panning out. 
Galouti kebab is one of the many casualties of the recent crackdown by the newly elected BJP state government headed by a mystic, the-saffron clad Yogi Adityanath. 
Meat is the essence of the Awadhi cuisine and meat is what the less than a week old Chief Minister has chosen to target. Ofcourse his recent order of banning abattoirs comes with rider: it is about the illegal slaughter houses and not those that are licensed. 
The state government ban has adversely affected the kebab business.
The creator of the famed Lucknow kebabs would be turning in his grave following the clamp down on the basic ingredient namely meat. 
Tundey kebabi, the well known food chain, has stated on record that they have had to “alter” their menu following  non availaibility of black buffalo meat. The chain would now have to, according to reports, rely heavily on chicken kebabs. 
Buffalo meat was in short supply after the state government’s crackdown on slaughterhouses. 
The state government of Uttar Pradesh, ordering a  blanket ban on cow smuggling, said inspection of slaughter houses was on in a big way and the drive has resulted in sealing meat shops through the state. 
The government crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops has led to shortage of buffalo, goat and chicken meat all over the city. 
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed police officials to prepare an action plan for closure of unlicensed slaughterhouses across the state. 
Confusion reigns as the lines between legal and illegal meat shops remain blurred. As things stand, even those who were licensed gave a go-by to the law and functioned on expired licenses. It was a kind of free for all and the meat business, permissions or no permissions, flourished. 
The BJP had announced in its manifesto that it would, if voted in, take "stern steps” to close down all illegal slaughterhouses besides banning mechanized slaughterhouses. 
Closure of illegal and mechanized slaughterhouses is among the first of its pre-poll commitments that the state government has chosen to honour. 
The saffron party has acted on its promise, with a number of abattoirs across Uttar Pradesh being subjected to raids and shutdowns.
Though aware  that their opponents would raise the pitch but the BJP seems firm on grounds that anything illegal, slaughter houses included, will be allowed to function. 
Lucknow is among the several districts in the state where a comprehensive verification drive is underway to ascertain the number of legal slaughter houses and meat shops.
Police have launched a crackdown on slaughterhouses across the state, triggering panic, with butchers and meat unit owners fearing for their livelihood. Shops selling chicken and mutton, which is legal, were shut in many parts of the state, fearing action.
The Police have sealed several meat shops and slaughterhouses which were allegedly running illegally in the city. A slaughter house, allegedly being run illegally, was sealed. It was shut down had been shutdown in 2012, but  continued to operate in a clandestine manner.
Legal bans apart, the locals have swung in. They are using terror tactics to force owners to shut shops. There are instances of a few shops selling meat and fish were set afire by unidentified persons in a sensitive area. 
This is the cause of worry because it is not about government orders alone but misinterpretation and panic. It is also about people taking law into their hands and igniting a situation to create a fear psychosis. 
Therefore, if the government intends mere regulation and following the law, the fringe elements and vested interests could play havoc with the fragile social fabric and instil fear and disturb peace. And it will not stop at this. Soon it will take the shape of pushing the state towards vegetarianism.  What causes concern is that meat selling is a profession pursued by the minority communities, either Muslims or Sikhs. In the state of Uttar Pradesh which has a substantial muslim population, muslims own and run meat shops. Hence he underwriting in Yogi’s order seems to be targeting the Muslims. 
It could quite like be the Ram temple movement when the minorities were more under threat from fringe elements than they were from the pro-temple activists. Insecurity among minorities was common and the temple enthusiasts used every possible opportunity to get the better of them. Goons would swoop down and play havoc resulting in the minorities running for cover. 
The politics of religion has in recent decades been baring its fangs in India. Till the BJP grabbed power it was covert but with Narenda Modi as Prime Minister it was clear that the Hindu agenda would be at play. There were enough indicators but nothing as brazen as the appointment of a Hindu seer as Chief Minister in the country’s most influential state namely Uttar Pradesh. 
Of course the people gave the BJP a massive mandate for it to ride rough shod and that is exactly what Modi did: he rode rough shod and planted a yogi to govern. He not only mix religion with politics but allowed religion and religious leaders to occupy centre-stage and govern the people who even though they had voted for a change had not bargained to be ruled by a saffron clad, fire spitting yogi. 
If Adityanath’s election speeches and past records are any indication, he is rabid. Therefore, to perch him in a top position to govern a crucial state is nothing less than suicidal. That Modi is on a victory rampage is clear but to take a massive mandate so much for granted and push religion down people’s throats is doing a disservice to democracy and the values that the nation stands for.  Kebab politics may be just one step but it certainly is a part of a larger conspiracy to rob India of its basic ethos of plurality and inject an overdose of religion into governance. By appointing Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Modi just did that.

The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])

A yogi and the kebab

Kebab politics may be just one step but it certainly is a part of a larger conspiracy to rob India of its basic ethos of plurality

One may not need teeth to eat them but one sure needs buffalo meat. Therefore, when Nawab Asad lost his dentures and needed meat that would melt in the mouth rather than being chewed he hit upon a recipe for the famous galawati kebab. In Lucknow as in other parts of India galawati is more famous as galouti. Whether the recipe includes the famed 160 spices or not is a matter of detail but the kebab is legendary. It is also a must have as far as the cuisine of Lucknow in India goes. Some say that it was Haji Mohammad Fakr-e-Alam Saheb, the creator of the moti pilaf, who made the first galouti kebab. Later on, each generation went on perfecting the shahi mixture, giving it a creamier, silkier texture. Finally, it was Haji Murad Ali, one of the finest chefs of the time, who got the consistency right. It is said that Ali, who was working on perfecting the mixture of the shahi galawat, fell off the roof and broke an arm. Injury did not deter him and with one arm he pound the meat to perfection: into a fine paste that it would melt in the mouth. When the Nawab savoured it, he chose to ask who had made them and he was told they were Tunde ke kebab. Simpy put it meant that they were made by a one arm man. Tunda in Urdu means a person without an arm. Alis son, however, was more enterprising than the father and eventually under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah set shop at the old Chowk of Lucknow in 1905 that became popular as Tunde Kebabi, a brand under which his generations have sold some of the best tasting kebabs including the one that galouti inspired: the Kakori Kebab.The main ingredient of the iconic kebabs is buffalo meat. Much to the chagrin of kebab lovers, the recently elected BJP led state government has sounded its death knell. Or at least that is how recent developments are panning out. Galouti kebab is one of the many casualties of the recent crackdown by the newly elected BJP state government headed by a mystic, the-saffron clad Yogi Adityanath. Meat is the essence of the Awadhi cuisine and meat is what the less than a week old Chief Minister has chosen to target. Ofcourse his recent order of banning abattoirs comes with rider: it is about the illegal slaughter houses and not those that are licensed. The state government ban has adversely affected the kebab business. The creator of the famed Lucknow kebabs would be turning in his grave following the clamp down on the basic ingredient namely meat. Tundey kebabi, the well known food chain, has stated on record that they have had to alter their menu following non availaibility of black buffalo meat. The chain would now have to, according to reports, rely heavily on chicken kebabs. Buffalo meat was in short supply after the state governments crackdown on slaughterhouses. The state government of Uttar Pradesh, ordering a blanket ban on cow smuggling, said inspection of slaughter houses was on in a big way and the drive has resulted in sealing meat shops through the state. The government crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops has led to shortage of buffalo, goat and chicken meat all over the city. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed police officials to prepare an action plan for closure of unlicensed slaughterhouses across the state. Confusion reigns as the lines between legal and illegal meat shops remain blurred. As things stand, even those who were licensed gave a go-by to the law and functioned on expired licenses. It was a kind of free for all and the meat business, permissions or no permissions, flourished. The BJP had announced in its manifesto that it would, if voted in, take stern steps to close down all illegal slaughterhouses besides banning mechanized slaughterhouses. Closure of illegal and mechanized slaughterhouses is among the first of its pre-poll commitments that the state government has chosen to honour. The saffron party has acted on its promise, with a number of abattoirs across Uttar Pradesh being subjected to raids and shutdowns. Though aware that their opponents would raise the pitch but the BJP seems firm on grounds that anything illegal, slaughter houses included, will be allowed to function. Lucknow is among the several districts in the state where a comprehensive verification drive is underway to ascertain the number of legal slaughter houses and meat shops. Police have launched a crackdown on slaughterhouses across the state, triggering panic, with butchers and meat unit owners fearing for their livelihood. Shops selling chicken and mutton, which is legal, were shut in many parts of the state, fearing action. The Police have sealed several meat shops and slaughterhouses which were allegedly running illegally in the city. A slaughter house, allegedly being run illegally, was sealed. It was shut down had been shutdown in 2012, but continued to operate in a clandestine manner. Legal bans apart, the locals have swung in. They are using terror tactics to force owners to shut shops. There are instances of a few shops selling meat and fish were set afire by unidentified persons in a sensitive area. This is the cause of worry because it is not about government orders alone but misinterpretation and panic. It is also about people taking law into their hands and igniting a situation to create a fear psychosis. Therefore, if the government intends mere regulation and following the law, the fringe elements and vested interests could play havoc with the fragile social fabric and instil fear and disturb peace. And it will not stop at this. Soon it will take the shape of pushing the state towards vegetarianism. What causes concern is that meat selling is a profession pursued by the minority communities, either Muslims or Sikhs. In the state of Uttar Pradesh which has a substantial muslim population, muslims own and run meat shops. Hence he underwriting in Yogis order seems to be targeting the Muslims. It could quite like be the Ram temple movement when the minorities were more under threat from fringe elements than they were from the pro-temple activists. Insecurity among minorities was common and the temple enthusiasts used every possible opportunity to get the better of them. Goons would swoop down and play havoc resulting in the minorities running for cover. The politics of religion has in recent decades been baring its fangs in India. Till the BJP grabbed power it was covert but with Narenda Modi as Prime Minister it was clear that the Hindu agenda would be at play. There were enough indicators but nothing as brazen as the appointment of a Hindu seer as Chief Minister in the countrys most influential state namely Uttar Pradesh. Of course the people gave the BJP a massive mandate for it to ride rough shod and that is exactly what Modi did: he rode rough shod and planted a yogi to govern. He not only mix religion with politics but allowed religion and religious leaders to occupy centre-stage and govern the people who even though they had voted for a change had not bargained to be ruled by a saffron clad, fire spitting yogi. If Adityanaths election speeches and past records are any indication, he is rabid. Therefore, to perch him in a top position to govern a crucial state is nothing less than suicidal. That Modi is on a victory rampage is clear but to take a massive mandate so much for granted and push religion down peoples throats is doing a disservice to democracy and the values that the nation stands for. Kebab politics may be just one step but it certainly is a part of a larger conspiracy to rob India of its basic ethos of plurality and inject an overdose of religion into governance. By appointing Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Modi just did that. The writer is a senior Indian journalist, political commentator and columnist of The Independent. She can be reached at: ([email protected])