Bollywood actress Swara Bhasker, on Monday, publicly criticized a popular food blogger, Nalini Unagar, over a tweet celebrating her vegetarianism during the Eid al-Adha festivities. The tweet, which sparked controversy online, depicted Unagar’s vegetarian plate with the caption, “I’m proud to be a vegetarian. My plate is free from tears, cruelty and guilt.”
Bhasker took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express her disapproval of Unagar’s comments, calling out the perceived self-righteousness in the blogger’s post. “Honestly… I don’t understand this smug self-righteousness of vegetarians. Your entire diet is made up of denying the calf its mother’s milk.. forcibly impregnating cows then separating them from their babies & stealing their milk,” Swara posted.
Honestly… I don’t understand this smug self righteousness of vegetarians. Your entire diet is made up of denying the calf its mother’s milk.. forcibly impregnating cows then separating them from their babies & stealing their milk. You eat root vegetables? That kills the whole… https://t.co/PqHmXwwBTR
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) June 16, 2024
Bhasker further pointed out the ecological impact of vegetarian diets, particularly highlighting the consumption of root vegetables.“You eat root vegetables? That kills the whole plant! Please relax with the virtue signalling just because it’s Bakr Eid! (Folded hands emojis).” she added, ending her post with folded hands emojis to emphasize her plea for respect and understanding during the religious festival.
Eid al-Adha, also known as Bakr Eid, is a significant Islamic festival that is marked by the sacrifice of animals as a symbol of Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to God. The festival is a time for communal prayers, feasting, and charitable acts, and any criticism or insensitivity surrounding these traditions often leads to heated debates.
The tweet made by Nalini Unagar that was initially intended to promote vegetarianism, inadvertently sparked a larger discussion about dietary choices and their ethical implications amongst the online users. While there were some users who supported her point of view on vegetarianism, others, like the Bollywood actress, viewed it as an inappropriate and insensitive remark to be made given its coinciding timing with the Islamic festival and it’s cultural context.
