Social media, as we know it, gets flooded with varied sorts of reactions on any trending topic from random to crucial, in no time. While some find a larger context to a supposedly trivial issue, some prefer to find humour in it, deeming it to be unimportant. Today, the 'curd v. dahi' debate has managed to garner one such diverse set of reactions from Twitter users.
This was prompted when the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a notification, on March 10, which mandated to label curd sachets with the word 'dahi' prominently and use the regional equivalent in brackets. The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) under the direction from FSSAI asked to use “Mosaru” (the Kannada equivalent) in brackets, while the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers Federation, said that “Tair” or “Tayir” can be used in brackets, as reported by the Hindu.
The withdrawal of the order was notified via a press release, on Thursday, after receiving a spree of backlashes. The release said that the packaged curd may now use the "term Curd along with any other designation (prevalent regional common name) in brackets on the label.”
Here's how the entire issue unfolded.
Politicians slammed FSSAI for "Hindi imposition"
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin criticised the attempt to impose 'dahi', a Hindi word, on the non-Hindi speaking states. Tweeting a news article by the Hindu on the issue, Stalin asked the FSSAI to respect the people’s sentiments. "The unabashed insistences of #HindiImposition have come to the extent of directing us to label even a curd packet in Hindi, relegating Tamil & Kannada in our own states," the tweet read.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy also took to Twitter to voice out his disagreement with FSSAI's move. According to Kumaraswamy, the food safety regulatory body attempted a wrong tactic, "knowing that Kannadigas are opposed to the imposition of Hindi".
BJP Tamil Nadu president Annamalai also asked FSSAI to roll back the notification and allow State-run milk cooperatives to use their regional languages for packaging. He said that the notification was "not in tandem with the policy of PM Narendra Modi to promote regional languages."
How did Twitter react?
Twitter was inundated with diverse reactions on the 'curd v. dahi' debate, triggered by FSSAI's notification and its subsequent withdrawal. Many users criticised it deeming it as yet another move in the direction of Hindi imposition.
Some also saw the backtrack of order as an appeasement move by the Centre for the upcoming Karnataka elections.
Many users cited the entire issue as another example of 'misplaced priority'.
Taking a break from larger contexts, many Twitter users saw it as an insignificant tactic, not worth wasting time. Some others reacted with the cliché response of "dimaag ki dahi"