<p>Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes will be served at the state-level school art festival in Kerala from next year onwards.</p>.<p>This was stated by General Education Minister V Sivankutty against the backdrop of a controversy among certain quarters protesting that the all-vegetarian menu served for the festival smacks of an upper caste "Brahmanical hegemony".</p>.<p>"Both types of delicacies will be included in the menu next year. For this, changes will be made in the festival manual, if necessary," the minister has said.</p>.<p>The social media was abuzz on Thursday after certain prominent handles raked up the issue of choice of food for school students and alleging "Brahmanical hegemony".</p>.<p>Sivankutty had rubbished the charges and said the debate was totally "unwanted".</p>.<p>The minister said the same sort of vegetarian food was being served for the youth festival for the past 60 years in the state and there was no controversy.</p>.<p>For decades, lip-smacking vegetarian delicacies have been served among participating children, their teachers and parents at the food pavilions of the annual gala, known for its massive participation of children.</p>.<p>Sivankutty, when he met the reporters on Thursday at the festival venue, had said thousands of people enjoyed the food being served at the festival.</p>.<p>"Some 30,000 people were served food on the first day of the festival while the second day saw around 40,000 people relishing the food. It's like a festival and the government will give food to anyone who reaches the counter," he said.</p>.<p>Sivankutty said the state government was not adamant that meat should be kept out of the state youth festival.</p>.<p>"But, there are practical issues of preparing huge quantities of non-vegetarian dishes to serve such a massive number of people," he said.</p>.<p>Besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks and tea along with desserts are also provided at the food pavilions of the youth festival.</p>.<p>The controversy over not including non-vegetarian delicacies in the menu erupted after some netizens questioned the years-long practice of serving only vegetarian items during the festival, triggering intense exchange of views in and outside social media platforms.</p>.<p>A Facebook user had charged that the "vegetarian only" menu in the festival was part of "vegetarian fundamentalism" and a "reflection of caste belief".</p>.<p>Citing the eminent culinary expert Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri, a Brahmin, helming the catering team, another person had lamented through a Facebook post that the presence of Brahmins in the kitchens of art festivals was the "commemoration of the surrender of renaissance and democratic values at the feet of Brahmanism".</p>.<p>However, several online users harshly criticised the debate as an attempt to give religious colour to food and to create division in society.</p>.<p>Reacting to the criticism and the social media debate, Namboothiri had said the vegetarian dishes were not his choice but he was acting as directed by the government.</p>
<p>Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes will be served at the state-level school art festival in Kerala from next year onwards.</p>.<p>This was stated by General Education Minister V Sivankutty against the backdrop of a controversy among certain quarters protesting that the all-vegetarian menu served for the festival smacks of an upper caste "Brahmanical hegemony".</p>.<p>"Both types of delicacies will be included in the menu next year. For this, changes will be made in the festival manual, if necessary," the minister has said.</p>.<p>The social media was abuzz on Thursday after certain prominent handles raked up the issue of choice of food for school students and alleging "Brahmanical hegemony".</p>.<p>Sivankutty had rubbished the charges and said the debate was totally "unwanted".</p>.<p>The minister said the same sort of vegetarian food was being served for the youth festival for the past 60 years in the state and there was no controversy.</p>.<p>For decades, lip-smacking vegetarian delicacies have been served among participating children, their teachers and parents at the food pavilions of the annual gala, known for its massive participation of children.</p>.<p>Sivankutty, when he met the reporters on Thursday at the festival venue, had said thousands of people enjoyed the food being served at the festival.</p>.<p>"Some 30,000 people were served food on the first day of the festival while the second day saw around 40,000 people relishing the food. It's like a festival and the government will give food to anyone who reaches the counter," he said.</p>.<p>Sivankutty said the state government was not adamant that meat should be kept out of the state youth festival.</p>.<p>"But, there are practical issues of preparing huge quantities of non-vegetarian dishes to serve such a massive number of people," he said.</p>.<p>Besides breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks and tea along with desserts are also provided at the food pavilions of the youth festival.</p>.<p>The controversy over not including non-vegetarian delicacies in the menu erupted after some netizens questioned the years-long practice of serving only vegetarian items during the festival, triggering intense exchange of views in and outside social media platforms.</p>.<p>A Facebook user had charged that the "vegetarian only" menu in the festival was part of "vegetarian fundamentalism" and a "reflection of caste belief".</p>.<p>Citing the eminent culinary expert Pazhayidam Mohanan Namboothiri, a Brahmin, helming the catering team, another person had lamented through a Facebook post that the presence of Brahmins in the kitchens of art festivals was the "commemoration of the surrender of renaissance and democratic values at the feet of Brahmanism".</p>.<p>However, several online users harshly criticised the debate as an attempt to give religious colour to food and to create division in society.</p>.<p>Reacting to the criticism and the social media debate, Namboothiri had said the vegetarian dishes were not his choice but he was acting as directed by the government.</p>