This post is prompted by a recent news that Indian Govt in considering limiting wedding guest list - to save food.
My memories flew back to 1960s when the then PM (Morarji Desai ?) brought a Govt order called Guest Control Act to limit the number of guests to a marriage. Admiitedly those days were "famine-like" and we had to save food in whichever way we could think of. In fact, during 1965-70 the entire nation lived on PORT-to-MOUTH existence - when our total requirement of wheat was shipped from USA under PL480.
Those were the days when all the eateries, big and small, used to close down their shutters from 2 PM on Mondays to next morning, under GOI's orders. No food will be available after 2. And, on Wednesdays, no rice will be served for the day - just wheat.
2011 is not 1960, we have come a long way. Food is not scarce but then over 100 million Indians go to sleep everyday hungry and malnourishment is rife. Cutting back on profligate banquets would save the nation 15% of its total foodgrains and vegetables. This waste is intolerable. All of us are guilty.
Even for a small function we prepare a score of items or more. From payasam, thayir pachchadi, sweet pachchadi, to two curries, one koottu, one aviyal, Puliyodharai, appalam, vadai, chips, to Paruppu, Sambar, morekuzhambu, rasam, thayir, moremilakai, urugai. If the occasion is a wedding, the menu would be still enhanced with chaats, soups, salads, pooris, rotis, subzis, pulaos, raithas,ice creams, fruit salads ... the list goes on.
I feel it is a colossal waste of our food. The leftovers are not even given to poor people or animals like in the past - these are just thrown away along with the paper-rolls !
I further feel that the time has come to enact a law or Order to limit not just the number of Guests, but the number of items served as well. One-dish feast shall be made mandatory in all the functions.
rajappa
11:25 AM
26 Feb 2011
My memories flew back to 1960s when the then PM (Morarji Desai ?) brought a Govt order called Guest Control Act to limit the number of guests to a marriage. Admiitedly those days were "famine-like" and we had to save food in whichever way we could think of. In fact, during 1965-70 the entire nation lived on PORT-to-MOUTH existence - when our total requirement of wheat was shipped from USA under PL480.
Those were the days when all the eateries, big and small, used to close down their shutters from 2 PM on Mondays to next morning, under GOI's orders. No food will be available after 2. And, on Wednesdays, no rice will be served for the day - just wheat.
2011 is not 1960, we have come a long way. Food is not scarce but then over 100 million Indians go to sleep everyday hungry and malnourishment is rife. Cutting back on profligate banquets would save the nation 15% of its total foodgrains and vegetables. This waste is intolerable. All of us are guilty.
Even for a small function we prepare a score of items or more. From payasam, thayir pachchadi, sweet pachchadi, to two curries, one koottu, one aviyal, Puliyodharai, appalam, vadai, chips, to Paruppu, Sambar, morekuzhambu, rasam, thayir, moremilakai, urugai. If the occasion is a wedding, the menu would be still enhanced with chaats, soups, salads, pooris, rotis, subzis, pulaos, raithas,ice creams, fruit salads ... the list goes on.
I feel it is a colossal waste of our food. The leftovers are not even given to poor people or animals like in the past - these are just thrown away along with the paper-rolls !
I further feel that the time has come to enact a law or Order to limit not just the number of Guests, but the number of items served as well. One-dish feast shall be made mandatory in all the functions.
rajappa
11:25 AM
26 Feb 2011
There is different point of view about 6-7 months back. Please refer http://en-jannal.blogspot.com/search/label/Marriage%20Reception.
ReplyDeleteBecause of inflation, expense of essential things, things are changing. Good welcome change.