Zomato: Service Is Not Servility And The Uncouth And Unkind Should Know

A few years ago I was on a plane to Bangalore from Geneva. Sitting across aisle from me was an Indian ly and to her right was a European gentleman, both speaking animatedly. 'Skipping meal,' she said, as mealtime came around. He h ordered chicken. As he ate, she took out her meal in a box. It’s ekasi, she told amused man, a day some Hindus fast, eating only certain foods, offering him some nuts and raisins. man put down his fork, took a helping ding he needed to fast as well. Secure in mselves and ir habits, both laughed.

rmal people y are, like most human beings who wouldn’t bor to ask about religious persuasions of people before donating or receiving blood. Like people who donate vital organs so ors can live. rmal people who don’t impose ir food habits, preferences and practices – all personal journeys – on ors in an uncouth way. Sabyahata or being civilised as Indian culture teaches. Manners as homes, rich and poor do.  

ise in India about Zomato is revelatory. This Indian restaurant search and delivery service present in over 20 countries sent a Muslim delivery person to service an order placed by a Hindu client. latter tweeted about his anyance with person and process. first is a personal issue and second is a comment on a paid service. two can meet, but re’s a cost attached to it which neir service provider r client is willing to pay. Outr cant replace b business practices and personal choices. 

Literacy levels in India are constantly rising without ir corollary in jobs. People are expected to opt alien cultures and goals that leave m rootless. What solutions do a section of India’s educated who think y must have a take on everything from an overflowing drain to national security propose? 

Some commentary on Zomato is so vicious I’m left wondering where it originates.  I believe, Hindus must unite against company, say some, while ors say, Muslims in India are threatened. re’s a campaign of sorts to run company to ground because CEO, some believe, converted issue into a marketing strategy by tweeting that food has religion. company delivers halal food, so that bit about ' religion' does stand on shaky ground. I’m pretty sure y can deliver or food if re’s a demand. Market delivery for food is religion blind. 

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Sanctity, service and self-respect are three interconnected strands that need thought here. It has to do with religion for some, service for ors and most important for me health and hygiene. Food and hygiene form basis of public health and I find it extraordinary that hyperventilating Twitter and television celebrity used this situation to highlight unhygienic conditions under which most commercial food in India including in top hotels is cooked and served. I am also shocked at complete lack of insensitivity of all to plight of infants and children who scavenge for food thrown outside homes and commercial venues. Religion or business or maybe it doesn’t matter because important people have important things to do? 

I have my food preferences as most people do. I live and work in different cultures and countries across socio-ecomic strata and sectors. one I kw makes an issue of a botched up delivery for simple reason that we respect food including good luck of having it and in some cases have people making it for us. That comes when you respect yourself, t when you begin by disrespecting ors – people who cant respect mselves will never respect ors, whatever situation. y will give it any crutch including God, but never will y see limits of ir own igrance and arrogance. Halal, kosher, satvic, palaaharam, vegan, vegetarian, n-vegetarian, pescatarian – se are all personal choices in homes and with individuals.  

You may approach food from a religious, hygiene or simply a good food perspective, but each has it’s own discipline, sanctity and rigour. It’s absence of that respect which is telling. 

Moving from individual to community (home-cooked food to ordering a service) is a mind-set issue requiring t just commercial success but also maturity. Indians have a problem understanding difference between service servility. We go from bossy to servile in na seconds depending on who is in front of us. This is where you see how uncivilised a certain section of India is. Some stories about us making fools of ourselves in foreign lands went viral last week. We don’t have to travel abro to see how uncouth we are. Just go to a mall. 

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Or look around to see how we treat serving and cleaning staff. Some even tweet about ir “maid” in today’s day and . Manners are ingrained, t attachments for public consumption. Look at number of famous people who tweet to airlines and hotels thanking m for services when you kw well that y used discretionary access to get m in first place. body’s dupe here, people and Indians are watching. 

As Zomato story continues, I cant stop thinking of public health, hospitals, operating atres and blood products. I think is obvious what I am trying to say. This much I will d. Maybe CEO of Zomato tried to make a fast buck by converting poor service and insensitivity.  But that’s what happens in India’s multi-speciality hospitals where you can arrive half de but will t be mitted if you are t carrying a lot of money with you, all religions confounded. Doctors will tell you how y have to prescribe unnecessary procedures and diets because hospitals double up as hotels and re are business targets to meet. Cash registers must also ring in posh hospitals where pharmacies on ground floor rip off hapless patients – a government pharmacy selling affordable medicines is often more than a few hundred metres away but one will tell you because all are in take. 

se hospitals have curtains and bathroom slippers – like abro! Service is t servility. Let us stop being uncouth with ourselves and if we can, please spare our Gods and faiths. Let us develop some work ethics we all respect as Indians. Nation-building is our job – food is a wonderful connector of people.

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( views and opinions expressed within this article are personal opinions of author. facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in article do t reflect views of Republic TV/ Republic World/ ARG Outlier Media Pvt. Ltd.)