Spitting in food is prohibited in India, and what is the Spitting Holy War (8 photos)

India has a huge street food market (and many of the owners of such stalls are millionaires, as I already wrote). And everyone knows these legendary videos about street cooking in India.





And now two states have decided to conduct trial reforms - to introduce large fines and imprisonment for contaminating food with spit, urine and dirt.

The northern state of Uttarakhand will fine violators up to 100,000 rupees, and neighboring Uttar Pradesh will imprison violators.



By the way, they were prompted to adopt this law by viral videos on social networks, where sellers spit in food while cooking. And one housekeeper was even caught on video urinating in a pot with food being cooked.

And the new strict laws should make Indians think a hundred times before doing this.





But despite the fact that no one wants to be spat on, Indians are outraged. Because many simply do not have the opportunity to live a different and cleaner life, and they are condemned for the lack of hygiene. Everyone wants the poor to jump above their heads.

No culture of cleanliness

Foodborne infections are VERY common in India. Unsafe food causes about 600 million infections and 400,000 deaths every year.



It is believed that the reason for this is the connection between nutrition and traditions and the caste system. Each caste has its own eating habits, developed by their life circumstances.

So the untouchables usually do not have access to running water, so they traditionally rinse their plates in a bucket. And in the warmth, such water very quickly turns sour. In a large number of children, it is forced to combine kitchens with bedrooms or make them very cramped. Therefore, the conditions for storing food are never observed.



That is, the very concept of what "clean food" is is very vague.

If ash got into it, it is still acceptable. If an animal sat on the dishes, it is acceptable. Blurred boundaries allow street vendors to rinse their fingers in sauce.

This is not done for you, and not for people like you

Therefore, the reform will first be carried out "for tourists", and then the culture of proper hygiene will be introduced lower, lower and lower to the poor.



Therefore, first of all, hotels and restaurants where rich people stay will be checked for spitting in food.

Moreover, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, for such spitting (if proven), they promise up to 10 years in prison.

Hindus fight through food



The thing is that in some states of India, Hindus and Muslims have very tense relations. And when someone spits in roti (flatbread), they immediately think that it was a Muslim who did something bad and unrest begins.

Although in fact, Hindus spit in food much more often, simply because there are more of them statistically. In India, there even appeared the concept of "spit-jihad" (Spitting holy war). Allegedly, Muslims conspired to spit in Hindus' food. This is a slightly crazy theory, but it is very actively promoted by various radical Hindu movements.



Although in India there really is a "Love Hijad", when Muslims really conspire to convert Hindu women into Muslims through marriage. Although it is not illegal, unlike spitting.

I have never eaten at street stalls in India, although I have always been terribly curious and interested. But - scary. Maybe in ten years they will re-educate, and then...