Mandya: Several activists, under the banner of Federation of Progressive Organisations, staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Monday, demanding to lift restrictions on non-vegetarian food at the forthcoming 87th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana (All India Kannada Literary Conference), organised in the city from Dec.22 to 24.

As a mark of protest, the protesters ate egg and raised the slogans, ‘Beleya Jothe Mooleyu Irali’, ‘Happalada Jothe Kebab Irali’, ’Kosambari Jothe Egg Bhurji Irali’ and ‘Mudde Jothe Boti Irali’.

Venting their ire against the organisers of Sammelana, the protesters said, by prohibiting non-vegetarian diet in the event, the right to food is being snatched from the people. It is inappropriate to ban non-vegetarian food in the democratic system. Mandya is popular for its non-vegetarian delicacies prepared during the festivals and other occasions. When majority of the invitees of the Literary Meet are non-vegetarians, what was the reason to ban non-veg food? the                                           protesters questioned.

Moreover, the argument being heard against the demand for non-vegetarian diet is itself unacceptable, as one should not differentiate between vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet. A conspiracy is being hatched across the country to portray non-vegetarian food as ‘impure’, which is a continuation of the attempts being made to weaken the food habits of majority population,  since several centuries.

There is a long list of non-vegetarian food in ‘Manasollasa’ literary work authored by Kalyani Chalukya King Someshwara-III who ruled between 12th and 13th centuries. This being the significance associated with non- vegetarian food, it  is nothing but a dangerous agenda to ban the same diet in the Literary Meet.

The protesters demanded that, along with vegetarian food, chicken and egg should also be served to the invitees during the Literary Meet. Or else, the protest will be staged by distributing non-vegetarian food, by collecting chicken, egg and essentials from the public, they warned.

Progressive leaders C. Kumari, A.L. Krishne Gowda, M.B. Naganna Gowda, H.D. Jayaram, M.V. Krishna, Sandesh, Advocate B.T. Vishwanath, Gangaraju, Niranjan, T.D. Nagaraju, Narasimha Murthy, M.C. Lankesh Mangala, Lakshman Cheeranahalli and others were present.