In 2017, there was much disquiet in India. It was rumoured that Khichdi was to be declared as India’s national dish. Those opposing it stated that India was a land of diverse foods, while those for it pointed to its simplicity and its myriad variants.
The Food Processing Minister quashed these rumours. However, in the current environment, I believe Khichdi has a special place in our diet. Specifically, Birbal’s Khichdi prepared and served daily to Indian citizens which they happily consumed.
Before I explain the reasons for my selection, it is important I explain the story behind Birbal’s Khichdi.
Birbal was one of the nine Navratna’s in emperor Akbar’s court. Indians have grown up reading about his wit. The story goes that Birbal hung a pot of lentils, rice and water high above a low flame. This installation was along a path frequented by Akbar. On passing it, Akbar asked Birbal about it. Birbal answered that he was cooking Khichdi. The emperor scoffed, pointing out that the low flame and the pot’s distance from the flame would never cook the ingredients in the pot. Birbal, then pointed out that Akbar refused to reward a person who had stood in the freezing Yamuna overnight because the poor man claimed he had been warmed by the glow of a lamp on the ramparts of the fort on the other bank of the river. The emperor realised the idiocy of his assumption.
The country remains agog with our respected Prime Minister flagging off the stubby nosed Vande Bharat express. But the punctuality of Indian trains is down to 73% – a 11% decrease as compared to the previous year. There has been an increase in accidents too. The Railways attribute this to asset failure, more trains and construction work. The acceptance of the hype around Vande Bharat Express is such that Indians ignore their government’s data that lack of infrastructure ensures this much celebrated train averages 83 kmph instead of 130 kmph. Interestingly, as per reports the speed of Super-Fast trains has been reduced to burnish Vande Bharat’s sheen.
The consequence of ingesting Birbal’s khichdi is such that during the Chinese incursions, Indians threw out their Chinese TVs and the government banned TikTok. One has no idea how this helped India regain land that has been allegedly lost. While Indians destroyed their Chinese goods in anger against Chinese incursions, the trade deficit between India and China increased from $72.91 billion in 2021-22 to $83.2 billion in FY23 according to the Ministry of Commerce. Indians were sufficiently impressed with top BJP leaders spewing venom at China and their promise of retribution that they had no qualms of the government allowing the increase in imports from China.
India began to be fed this diet about a decade ago. There was the 56-inch chest, the promise of demonetisation, cooking from gas from the sewer, the Corona debacle and so on.
Though khichdi is a simple food, Birbal’s khichdi is pretty expensive. The hyperbolic hype about the G-20 Presidency which is nothing but a position rotated between member states cost the country Rs 4,100 crores. This was just on the beautification of Delhi. Across India was there any poster on G20 that was without Shri Modi’s photo? The shutdown of Delhi during the final summit of Delhi cost the city Rs 300-400 crore in lost business according to Atul Bhargava, president of New Delhi Traders Association (NDTA). But hype drowned out everything else.
Just as there are cloud kitchens that dish out delectable goodies that can be ordered through apps. There are systems in place to prepare and serve Birbal’s khichdi. The production and service of this food is non-stop and unrelenting. It is difficult to not consume this dish because it is served up everywhere – from Government advertisement to WhatsApp messages to newspaper and TV reports.
The impact of this khichdi is such that Indian’s spout ‘the international respect’ that India has garnered in the last decade. They are very proud of the regal manner in which Prime Minister Modi is received by international leaders during his state visits abroad. Media rehash praise that Shri Modi receives from heads of state and other high-ranking dignitaries. There are many who wonder why Mr Modi has not stepped in stop the Palestine-Israel conflict given he halted the Ukraine-Russia war for a few days.
Prime Minister Modi is the most loved leader in the world as per Morning Consult. This American agency conducts an annual survey of citizens about their leader. More Indians like Modi than say French like Macron or Americans Biden. 76% of Indians polled approved of his leadership, the Swiss President Alain Berset received a 64% approval rating from the Swiss.
India’s rankings in the recent Global Hunger Index – 111th out of 125 countries ranked – suggests that this particular kind of khichdi is not nutritious. Does this particular preparation help India abroad? In 2022, India stood 87th in The Henley Passport Index meaning Indian passport holders could visit 60 countries without visa. This year India is 86th, but Indians can visit 57 countries without a visa – 3 countries less than the previous year.
Given the low ranking of the Indian passport it would seem that Birbal’s khichdi is not served or consumed by countries abroad. This is not to say that the Indian diaspora is not doing their utmost to prepare and serve it to citizens and policy makers of other countries.
One consequence of preparing, serving and consuming this khichdi is that while India speaks about Nari Shakti there was no support for the protests by women wrestlers. Similarly, most Indian journalists travelling to Israel to cover the Palestinian-Israeli conflict did not make it Manipur to report on the riots there. The conflagration in Manipur continues.
Weaning India off this diet is not easy. Birbal’s Khichdi is easy to prepare – it needs performance, collaborators and hype. Unlike Akbar, there is no aha moment, everyone is unquestioningly wonderstruck with the performance.
(Samir Nazareth is an author and writes on socio-economic and environmental issues)
