The Silk Massacre and Something Green : Beet Green Pulao

Sometimes it is an incorrigible social pressure or an enthralling beauty that exist in a tradition, although being a very well known evil makes most in the society follow it. It deters the most educated pundits and the broadminded youth to do what they know already is right. One such unvoiced stigma is the silk industry.

 Pic courtesy: www. nomadicrider.com

I always wondered why my grandmother proudly counted the number of silk sarees she owned and why my mother took extra care of them when it was a punishment to wear the sarees in the scorching Chennai heat? Have you wondered why it happens in your home (if you an Indian)? Why is it an ego issue to have more number of sarees that your neighbor, whom you pretend to be a friends? I have been brought up in a typical tam-bram household, where in, it is a sin to even bring in any sort of meat at home. 'We are sensitive enough not to kill animals; We do not take a life, when we can't give one; It is sin to destroy a life for our own greed'- are some of the adage lines that run in most of the tam bram familes. Astonishingly, we don't mind killing thousands of silk worms just to get better that one other at a social event, regardless of the discomfort of the Indian heat.- My grandmother often sighs,"Tamil Nadu has 4 seasons too-hot, very hot, excruciatingly hot and Sweaty and rainy". Yes, welcome to the silk charade! We don't want it, but we need to have it; sounds almost like an American consumerism slogan.

I am no person to judge. I can understand if you pacify hunger by hunting! I understand if you wear leather during the cold-we do it for survival. Although, I am a vegetarian, I do not pass judgment on any of the above. Nevertheless, I could have problems with inorganic meat and torturing animals (hormone pumping etc.,) for mass meat and animal product production. On an individual level, I do not judge on one's choice. But killing for embellishing seems just not necessary.

To be frank, I went on such a silk worm massacre a couple of times, like my wedding for example! I knew it, I even thought about it, but who wants to look drab on their wedding day? I am no different-one of the hypocrites in a well educated, well to do lot . We all participate due to social pressure- be it pride or to fit in. I feel helpless when I think of things we just do because we have to, regardless of how insensitive and farcical it is to a pragmatic and rational mind. People label you as a prude if you try to explain that you actually are against killing silk worms and do not mind being under dressed for an Indian function. You will have your relatives gossiping or saying,"please wear it for me, people talk you know!"

They say liberation doesn't come easy: be it for the cocoons or us!

P.S:- I found this nice article on making silk sarees without harming the silk worms. They aver-"It is wrinkle free and comfortable."

Today's Recipe:-
Ingredients:
1 cup of cleaned and chopped beet greens
1 cup of washed and cleaned  rice
1.25 cups of water
5 raisins and cashews each- fried in 1 tsp of ghee
1/2 cup of onions
1 tble spn of ginger-garlic paste
2 chopped green chillies
1 tsp jeera
1 tble spn of oil/ghee/butter
1 inch cinnamon
1 star anise
4 cloves
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Method:-
Heat the oil and add jeera, cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
Add onion and ginger-garlic paste. Fry for about 2 mins.
Add the beet greens and green chillies. Toss around for 1 min.
Add rice, salt and water. Cook until one whistle.
Garnish with the fried cashews, raisins and some coriander leaves.
Serve with a cooling raita.