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KOLKATA: From the fierce football rivalry between Mohun Bagan’s “chingri” (tiger prawn) and East Bengal’s “ilish” (hilsa) to integral roles in Hindu religious rituals, fish is more than just a culinary delight in Bengal. It’s a way of life for a multitude of Bengalis. And this election season, Trinamool Congress is attempting to pick a fish bone with BJP.
Trinamool’s ‘ma-mati-manush’ slogan has added another M — maachh (fish) — following PM Modi’s jibe last week at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for eating fish during Navratri, a period when some Hindus abstain from non-vegetarian food. Tejashwi clarified that the video clip of him eating fish was from April 8 and posted late.
However, fish has taken centre stage in the political arena of Bengal, with Trinamool expressing fears about BJP’s influence on dietary preferences if it were to return to office. “They will dictate what you will eat for lunch and dinner,” CM Mamata Banerjee cautioned voters during a public meeting in Cooch Behar on Monday.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, during another rally in Cooch Behar over the weekend, said the PM was perhaps unaware that some religious rituals in Bengali households were considered incomplete without maachh (fish) and mangsho (meat).
Continuing the analogy, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien speculated whether income tax officials were searching for a “fish sandwich” during a search on Abhishek Banerjee’s campaign helicopter. A post-Poila Baisakh Monday lunch hosted by a senior Trinamool MP in New Delhi featured an exclusive fish spread, including varieties such as rohu, bekti, and pabda.
Trinamool seniors indicated plans to reinforce this message at future rallies, with a campaign titled “BJP hatao, maachh-bhat khao (drive out BJP to keep eating rice and fish)”.
Scholars and historians highlighted the central role of fish in Bengali culture. “In Bengal, there is a predominance of rivers, seas and ponds; so there is a natural abundance of fish. It is expected that fish will be an intrinsic part of our daily life and diet, like we say “maachh-e bhat-e in Bangla”, said historian and Alipore Jail Museum director Jayanta Sengupta, highlighting that fish was ubiquitous in regional literature (like Mangal Kabya) and folk traditions.
“It is considered auspicious and is a part of the tatwa given during marriages. Fish recipes can also be found in some puja bhogs. And, most importantly, we should not forget that the fish is also an avatar of Vishnu,” Sengupta said.
Trinamool’s Barasat MP and physician Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar pointed out the benefits of including fish in the diet. “It is also a cheap source of protein, healthier and stacked with Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D along with minerals and iodine,” she said.
State woman and child development minister Shashi Panja said this was the reason the Trinamool called BJP “a party of bahiragata (outsiders)”. “It is their sheer ignorance of what we as Bengalis hold dear. Fish is not only a staple in Bengal but also a part of our psyche, be it football or songs. If BJP does not understand what is in our heart, how will it govern us?” she asked.
In response, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya accused Trinamool of misrepresentation. “What the PM said was that many people did not eat non-vegetarian food during Navratri. We have nothing against fish. Trinamool is trying to assure people who eat beef by accusing BJP of trying to alter people’s food habits. She (the CM) has no love for either fish or fishermen,” Bhattacharya said.
Trinamool’s ‘ma-mati-manush’ slogan has added another M — maachh (fish) — following PM Modi’s jibe last week at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav for eating fish during Navratri, a period when some Hindus abstain from non-vegetarian food. Tejashwi clarified that the video clip of him eating fish was from April 8 and posted late.
However, fish has taken centre stage in the political arena of Bengal, with Trinamool expressing fears about BJP’s influence on dietary preferences if it were to return to office. “They will dictate what you will eat for lunch and dinner,” CM Mamata Banerjee cautioned voters during a public meeting in Cooch Behar on Monday.
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, during another rally in Cooch Behar over the weekend, said the PM was perhaps unaware that some religious rituals in Bengali households were considered incomplete without maachh (fish) and mangsho (meat).
Continuing the analogy, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien speculated whether income tax officials were searching for a “fish sandwich” during a search on Abhishek Banerjee’s campaign helicopter. A post-Poila Baisakh Monday lunch hosted by a senior Trinamool MP in New Delhi featured an exclusive fish spread, including varieties such as rohu, bekti, and pabda.
Trinamool seniors indicated plans to reinforce this message at future rallies, with a campaign titled “BJP hatao, maachh-bhat khao (drive out BJP to keep eating rice and fish)”.
Scholars and historians highlighted the central role of fish in Bengali culture. “In Bengal, there is a predominance of rivers, seas and ponds; so there is a natural abundance of fish. It is expected that fish will be an intrinsic part of our daily life and diet, like we say “maachh-e bhat-e in Bangla”, said historian and Alipore Jail Museum director Jayanta Sengupta, highlighting that fish was ubiquitous in regional literature (like Mangal Kabya) and folk traditions.
“It is considered auspicious and is a part of the tatwa given during marriages. Fish recipes can also be found in some puja bhogs. And, most importantly, we should not forget that the fish is also an avatar of Vishnu,” Sengupta said.
Trinamool’s Barasat MP and physician Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar pointed out the benefits of including fish in the diet. “It is also a cheap source of protein, healthier and stacked with Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D along with minerals and iodine,” she said.
State woman and child development minister Shashi Panja said this was the reason the Trinamool called BJP “a party of bahiragata (outsiders)”. “It is their sheer ignorance of what we as Bengalis hold dear. Fish is not only a staple in Bengal but also a part of our psyche, be it football or songs. If BJP does not understand what is in our heart, how will it govern us?” she asked.
In response, BJP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya accused Trinamool of misrepresentation. “What the PM said was that many people did not eat non-vegetarian food during Navratri. We have nothing against fish. Trinamool is trying to assure people who eat beef by accusing BJP of trying to alter people’s food habits. She (the CM) has no love for either fish or fishermen,” Bhattacharya said.
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