On Monday, the food products company ID Fresh released an unusual statement denying that its dosa batter contained animal extracts. Only “1...
On Monday, the food products company ID Fresh released an unusual statement denying that its dosa batter contained animal extracts. Only “100% natural and vegetarian agri-commodities” was used to make the product, insisted the company.
The message came in response to a large-scale misinformation campaign on social media claiming that the company “mixes cow bones and calf rennet” in its products. The WhatsApp forwards also claimed that the company hires only Muslims and is “halal certified”.
Anyone with a passing acquaintance with the dietary taboos of a large number of Indians would recognise how damaging these allegations could be for a food products company.
A wave of bigotry
It wasn’t difficult to see why these messages were being spread: ID Fresh was founded by PC Musthafa and his four cousins Abdul Nazer, Shamsudeen TK, Jafar TK and Noushad TA. It was the latest attack on the livelihoods of India’s Muslims, a trend now so far-reaching that even industrialists are not immune to it.
Before this, a series of shocking videos had gone viral showing Hindutva supporters attacking working-class Muslims as they went about doing their jobs. In Madhya Pradesh, a Muslim bangle seller was beaten up for doing business in a “Hindu area”. In Uttar Pradesh, a dosa vendor’s stall...
