Recently, Kerala was inundated with devastating floods, the worst to hit the state since 1924. The nation came together to help Kerala which was reeling under the tragedy which left over 350 people dead and homes and farms washed away. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan even gave an initial estimate of losses worth Rs. 20,000 crore.
Everyone has come together to help rebuild Kerala. Among them is a Mumbai based doctor and Twitter user Amit Thadani, who was recently in Kerala, helping flood victims.
After attending to the patients, the staff of the subcenter where the camp was held treated us to a sumptuous Kerala meal! pic.twitter.com/pCIaG2TOnp
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) August 27, 2018
Last week he posted an image of the menu of the legendary coffee chain store, Indian Coffee House in Thiruvananthapuram, which is about 100 metres from the Padmanabhaswamy temple entrance.
Menu of Indian Coffee House, just about 100m from Padmanabhaswamy temple entrance at Trivandrum. How is beef sale allowed so close to such a major shrine? pic.twitter.com/Nvxj0Mmec2
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) August 29, 2018
One of the items on the menu is ‘beef roast’. Thadani questioned how the sale of beef is allowed so close to a religious shrine, considering cows are considered holy by the Hindus and cow slaughter is banned in many states. Thadani had merely posed a question about the sale of beef considering the same is banned at many religious and holy places. Haridwar, Uttarakhand, is a vegetarian, alcohol-free zone. However, Thadani’s tweet triggered trolls who started abusing him and even accused him of trying to ‘food police’ them, many proudly proclaiming to be ‘Urban Naxals‘.
This is kerala. Don’t impose your cowherd habits on us. FO
— Urban Naxal Malmarugan (@kmalmarugan) August 29, 2018
Some even offered him more beef items, being insensitive towards Thadani’s religious beliefs.
Puttu and beef chilly is nice bro
— shameer (@shameerdev) August 31, 2018
And he was asked to ‘go back to the cow belt’, a term usually referred to those hailing from the Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh region.
Cause beef is tasty . Pray and go back to your cowbelt. https://t.co/PIfpSQ1it5
— KAVI. (@blurt2kc) September 2, 2018
And he was also accused of promoting communalism and religious bigotry.
Highly tragic that a man who has taken an oath to “do no harm” is here promoting comunalism and religious bigotry.
Dear doctor, you are a man of science. And we doctors are expected to rise above such petty comments and politics. #BeBetter https://t.co/rrrYmcJV5Z
— Jonathan Fernandez (@just1doctorwala) September 1, 2018
When bigoted North Indian Amiths visit South India. Bhai, veg restaurant mai jaa itna problem hai to. https://t.co/T7d4BuPnyj
— Aparna (@FuschiaScribe) September 1, 2018
Cow belt retard – wants to impose his lynchistan behavior in other parts of india. Steppe nomads + hybrids of mongols & invading forces – is a curse to India. https://t.co/dFSMKrXxTC
— NB Vararuchi (@MaveliPraja) September 2, 2018
Because, ICH is owned by the people, not the temple.
Because, it’s Kerala and therefore we can.
Because we don’t need any shitheads to “allow” us to live our way of life.
You can now f*ck off to your cowpoop hellhole, goyoli chanakamayire. https://t.co/KmxwrYVBhd
— The Last Caveman #RebuildKerala (@CarDroidusMax) August 31, 2018
Thadani later put up a note saying how he was abused by the trolls who indulged in name calling and sending pictures of beef dishes.
For all you bigots out there sending me abuses, beef pics and defecating on my TL on Twitter and Facebook. pic.twitter.com/SJZbtjPzch
— Amit Thadhani (@amitsurg) September 2, 2018
He clarified how he was merely putting out an observation as meat sale and consumption is usually banned from major temple areas. He also said how he was not imposing his food choices on anyone and that never asked anyone to stop eating beef, but merely stated an observation which was misread and misinterpreted.
It is indeed unfortunate that a harmless tweet is misinterpreted by trolls who descend upon someone’s timeline for targeted harassment. That too for someone who has been helping the same people with relief after the recent devastating floods in the state.
This is not the first time people from Kerala have shown their insensitivity when it comes to talking about beef. In May, this year, one Sadhvi Saraswati, the president of Sanatan Dharma Parivar Seva Samiti, addressed a convention in Kerala, discouraging people to eat beef. Following which, her Facebook page was inundated with messages from some Malayalis who had been sending her beef recipes as well as images of raw meat. Shockingly, while sharing the story on the Malayalis who took sadistic pleasure in sending beef/meat images to Sadhvi Saraswati, The News Minute editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran used to ‘tears rolling down the cheeks’ laughing emoji to show her happiness and amusement at the same.
