The railways have finally decided to serve non-vegetarian food on the newly started Howrah-Guwahati (Kamakhya) Vande Bharat Sleeper Express following persuasion from the Bengal BJP.
The sleeper service, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, had triggered controversy in the run-up to the Bengal elections, with Trinamool attacking the BJP over the decision to serve only vegetarian meals on the train.
“I spoke to (railway minister) Ashwini Vaishnawji on Sunday and requested him to introduce non-veg food choices on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express,” Union minister of state Sukanta Majumdar said on Monday.
“He assured me that non-vegetarian food will also be made available for passengers soon. He said the notification will be issued within two or three days.”
Trinamool’s social media handle had described the earlier vegetarian-meals-only policy as an attack on Bengali dietary habits.
“The train was launched recently, and every service cannot start from day one,” Majumdar, MP from Balurghat, told The Telegraph.
“However, the Trinamool Congress took up the issue as part of its dirty politics. I urged the railway minister to start providing non-vegetarian meals as soon as possible.”
A source said the railways’ initial decision was part of a policy to serve only vegetarian meals on routes connecting religious places.
The sleeper-class Vande Bharat had been launched as a link between pilgrimages to the famous Kali temples of Calcutta, such as those in Kalighat and Dakshineswar, and the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati.
During the inauguration, Modi had emphasised that the train would allow devotees from Bengal and Assam to easily visit each other’s holy places.
Both Bengal and Assam have entrenched non-vegetarian food cultures, with fish and meat being staples. More crucially, there is no restriction on non-vegetarian food for devotees visiting Kali temples or Kamakhya. Like many Kali temples, the Kamakhya temple, too, offers fish and meat as prasad.
The Trinamool onslaught had left Bengal BJP leaders worried ahead of the Assembly elections. They had already been embarrassed by certain adverse remarks from central BJP leaders about Bengalis’ love of fish.
On January 23, therefore, state BJP president Samik Bhattacharya voiced open support for Trinamool’s demand for non-vegetarian food on the Vande Bharat sleeper.
“There is no need to oppose everything. This is a logical and reasonable demand. A train that departs from Bengal and assumes Bengalis will not eat fish — that cannot happen. The demand is justified,” Bhattacharya told reporters.
A source in the BJP, however, said it remained unclear whether the railways would serve fish on the Vande Bharat Sleeper, although chicken would certainly be on the menu.
“Serving fish may not be possible on every train. However, the railway minister has promised that there will be non-vegetarian dishes such as chicken,” a BJPleader said.
Trinamool played down the railways’ latest decision, arguing the BJP-led central government’s change of heart had been forced by the strong opposition from Bengal, and was aimed at winning votes.
“We have not forgotten how BJP leaders earlier criticised Bengalis for eating fish,” Trinamool spokesperson Arup Chakraborty said.
“They finally decided to introduce non-vegetarian meals on the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express with the elections in mind. Once the elections are over, they will again try to attack Bengalis’ food habits and culture.”