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Kentucky Fried Chicken

Colonel Sanders of KFC


I lived and worked in a strictly vegetarian school in Delhi for 14 years. Maggie and I, like all other staff from principal to sweeper, lived on the campus. All the students too lived on the campus. It was an exclusively residential school. We were all given food in the school’s ‘mess’. Most teachers preferred to take dinner at home with family though the school did provide that too. The ‘pure vegetarian’ food was absolutely delicious. I loved it as much as the students did. All reputed schools in Delhi and many other North Indian cities provide quality food to students and staff. I visited a number of those schools in order to take students for various competitions such as debates and declamations. The standards maintained by them are remarkably good.

When we went out of the campus for personal needs, we had food of our choice. Both students and the staff could be seen in restaurants that served what is known in India as non-veg food. KFC was a favourite eatery of many of us, including Maggie and me. I think a sizeable section of the staff and students ate non-veg food when they got the opportunity. The question that arises then is: Was vegetarianism being forced on people in institutions such as my school?

Well, it was not forced really because we had the choice to join the school or not to. We could have chosen Punjab Public School instead of Sawan Public School if we wanted non-veg food. We had choice.

That possibility of choice is vital to any democracy. Isn’t India losing that possibility now? Aren’t many things like food, language, culture, history, and so on, being imposed on Indians now? Will KFC and McDonalds be asked to leave India or turn vegetarian?

I remember presenting ‘Colonel’ Harland David Sanders, founder of KFC, to my students of Sawan School in a speech in the morning assembly. His life, especially his success with KFC when he had been passing through a hard phase in life, was inspirational in many ways. The “strictly vegetarian” school sat down and listened without any moral or dietary indignation. The principal, vice principal and headmaster were all strict vegetarians. But none of them had any problem with my speech on fried chicken’s inspiring example. Today, would such a speech be allowed in a school like that? I doubt.

I now live in Kerala where non-veg is the norm. [I often feel nostalgic for Delhi’s veg food.] Kerala is the other extreme of North India. Here people eat too much non-veg food. The number of animals killed every day in Kerala for human consumption is scandalising. This has often made me ask myself: isn’t vegetarianism preferable? Should we be so cruel to animals?

This morning’s Malayala Manorama newspaper brought me a report about the vegetables and fruits available in Kerala. They are all highly contaminated with insecticides and pesticides of all sorts. They are more dangerous than the non-veg foods available in the state. We are cruel not only to animals but also to fellow human beings. We feed them with poison.

We do such atrocious things in order to achieve success, I guess. Colonel Sanders of KFC can, perhaps, teach us something about success.

Sanders was rejected 1009 times before he successfully selling his KFC recipe. Well, was he counting those times so meticulously? I don’t know. Perhaps, it just means that he failed too many times. Thomas Edison is said to have failed 10,000 times before making the bulb successfully. Sanders had a tough life most of the time. He failed miserably at all the careers he tried between the ages of 10 and 40. He did all sorts of things: farming, streetcar conductor, lawyer, insurance agent, and railroad fireman. He was 75 years old and pretty desperate when he finally sold KFC for $2 million. Not many people would have carried on tirelessly to the age of 75 as Sanders did. His life also teaches us that our past doesn’t define our future. You can succeed at any time. Giving up is the only sure way to fail.

And, finally, even KFC has a lesson (many lessons, in fact) to teach. Anything can teach us great lessons – even fried chicken!


PS. This post is part of #BlogchatterA2Z 2023

Previous Post: Jurassic World

Coming up tomorrow: Leader

 

 

Comments

  1. That was an interesting read. Although I knew about Sanders, I had no idea that he was 75 when he sold KFC! Veg food in North India can be a delight. I am a Bengali married to a strict vegetarian North Indian family. So I can feel you when you were in Sawan Public school.
    www.docdivatraveller.com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. The business wasn't a success initially. Sanders had a tough time for long.

      Veg food is so gentle on the stomach. That's why I love it. I'm also beginning to feel bad about killing of animals.

      Delete
  2. Knew about Sanders and your post makes an interesting read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know I am 56 and I am trying my hand at writing now. I started my blog when I was 51. Articles such as these inspire me a lot. As far as vegetarianism is concerned you are absolutely correct that it is being slowly but subtly being imposed upon us. Not only vegetarianism language, culture and as you say so many other things are also being imposed. History is being rewritten to suit certain agenda.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What we have today is not a leader but a military strategist who thinks that running a country is like leading a Mahabharata war. I'm writing about leadership tomorrow.

      Delete
  4. So much to think about nowadays. So much to reflect upon. Even food demands a battle of conscience these days...I just try to do my bit. tend my own garden, as they say, maybe eat less non-veg, but no way could i give up freid chicken! i'll draw the line there :)

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    Replies
    1. That's the best too. I do the same. There's a small vegetable garden. Fish is easily available nearby. Some KFC once in a while. And there's a longing to be vegetarian.

      Delete
  5. Hari OM
    Well, I have been vegetarian for most of my adult life - by choice. Meat simply didn't sit well in my digestion. I've never tried KFC - and had neither been in a McDonalds until, unbelievably, in Mumbai on a day out of the ashram my young friend wanted to go there. I nearly fainted at the thought, but he reassured me that their Paneer McBurger was beyond delicious. He was right! So Maccas, at least, caters for the vegos among us. In India. Wish it could be had here. YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yes, McD does provide veg burger in Delhi though I never cared to taste it. I wasn't and am still not fond of burgers. I have no problem with any kind of food. My problem is about the cruelty we perpetrate on animals. I can tell myself that preying is not killing. Still... the heart has reasons that reason doesn't understand.

      Delete
  6. ...in the '60s I studied agriculture at the University of Georgia. Colonel Sanders came and gave a talk, I found him very interesting. The fried chicken may not be the healthiest food, but it sure is tasty. Thanks for stopping by my blog, take care and have a wonderful day.

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure Sanders must have been interesting. Yes, his kind of chicken is not the healthiest food you can get. It's good on the palate.

      Delete
  7. Unfortunately food has become a tool with politicians to divide and rule,

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  8. The debate between non veg and veg food will run on forever. I agree with what you said... there are lessons to be learnt from everything, even KFC Chicken. I do hope food choices will continue to reign in our country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I share your hope but have deep reservations. We are skating on thin ice.

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