Oh no, how naïve my family and I have been all these years! We’ve happily dunked rotis into paneer butter masala, sipped steaming cups of chai with milk, and relished curd rice after a hearty meal – all under the blissful assumption that these were pure vegetarian delights. But now, thanks to Dr Sylvia Karpagam, we learn that our beloved dairy products belong to the same league as chicken, fish, and beef. What a betrayal!
I don’t claim to be a vegetarian, much less a vegan, but during festivals and pujas, milk, ghee, curd, and sometimes paneer find a sacred spot in our offerings. Does this mean that our prasadam has been masquerading as a non-veg meal all along? Have devout vegetarians been unwitting carnivores? Should we start seeking penance for all those paneer tikkas we thought were meat-free?
The Great Vegetarian Betrayal
This revelation adds yet another layer to the already muddled debate on what constitutes vegetarianism. Not too long ago, we were told that eggs were vegetarian, thanks to government campaigns promoting them as a nutritious necessity for children. So, if dairy products are now on the ‘non-veg’ list, where does that leave eggs? Will they be reclassified as leafy greens? And what about honey – an animal-derived food? Should vegans now feel smug, knowing they’ve been right all along?
Beware of your veggies
If this trend continues, who knows what might be declared non-veg next? Tomorrow, some study may announce that brinjals have a suspiciously meaty texture, mushrooms are secretly carnivorous, and jackfruits – often dubbed ‘vegetarian meat’ – should come with a trigger warning for herbivores. Perhaps even peanuts will be exposed for their scandalous origins.
At this rate, the only safe option might be to photosynthesize. But then, wouldn’t consuming sunlight also make us energy predators? There’s no end to this madness.
