Adil Najam
Regular readers know that we at ATP love Pakistani food. And talking about Pakistani food. But this investigative report from Dunya TV made even us stop and wonder just what it is that we are licking when we lick our fingers after eating that great samoosa or jalebi. Watch it at your own risk because some of it is quite disgusting.
Part of me says, I should stop eating the great street food that I love so much. But that will not solve the problem. The greater part of me says that we should not be careful ourselves on what we eat individually but should be pushing relevant authorities to put a real and permanent stop to this.
I am glad that at the end of the video we hear that the Punjab government is “taking notice” (whatever that means!) of such blatant violations of basic hygiene and of the law. However I am concerned that both the government and the Dunya TV anchor are taking this to be a case of a specific wayward violation by one establishment. In all likelihood it is not. One has to assume that this is a larger systemic problem and deal with it that way. At least, check if it is so.
From all of us lovers of Pakistani food, I hope this was just an aberration and not a systemic problem. But if it is, please lets do something about it.
To the person who wrote, “What is the big fuss. Don’t like it, don’t eat it.”. My dear ignorant fellow human…first of all, you cannot tell the differnce just by eating it…you get sick after eating it. Second, exactly this mentality of ignoring and allowing the wrongdoers to continue their wrongful activities has gotten us in the mess that we are in.
Let me ask you this, what if your 10 year old kid or someone who you dearly love, who doesnt have sense of what is right and what is wrong or even some adult unknowingly picks up a snack that is fried or baked in rat’s or dead donkey’s flesh? Would you still say the same? If so, then in my opinion you are lower then the lowest form or life and i cannot stop you from doing that, however please do not stop others from doing the right thing when it comes to hygiene….”Safaie nisf imaan hay!…cleanliness is half the faith!” I feel like saying B.S. to that right now.
By the way, I wish we all could do as you suggested when it comes to religion and politic.
What is the big fuss. Don’t like it, don’t eat it.