When McDonald announced to open a first-ever vegetarian-only restaurant in India, it was taken as a marketing tactic to attract non-meat eaters to its outlets. But perhaps McDonald sensed something else; a local textbook on hygiene and health – New Healthway, recently published for 11- and 12-year-old students has come up with some controversial write-ups.
“The Creator of this universe did not include meat in the original diet for Adam and Eve. He gave them fruits, nuts and vegetables,” reads a chapter titled as ‘Do we need flesh food’? The chapter goes on to list down some other benefits of vegetarian diet as it informs the children that —-‘meat-eaters easily cheat, tell lies, forget promises, are dishonest and tell bad words, steal, fight and turn to violence and commit sex crimes…’.
We don’t know how fast Indian government will move to ban such crap which is apparently intended to unnecessarily create controversy between communities. If someone can live a healthy life as a vegetarian, let him/her enjoy, but they should not demonise others only because of some delusional beliefs.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
