The New Indian Pariahs: Vegetarians

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...even though there are some 300 million vegetarians here, in the new affluent urban India, meat has become a status symbol. In the U.S. vegetarianism is a lifestyle choice. In India, once, it wasn't even an "ism" — it was just the way some of us were brought up for generations, a part of our cultural DNA.

Now, says Lakshmi, hostesses need advance warning before she shows up for dinner. And unlike in America, where they would apologize and run to the kitchen to whip up some pasta, she says, "Here it is a no-win situation where you think your not eating meat is such a huge burden on the hosts. Meat is the food. You don't have a nice meal without meat. The latest thing is — you don't have any meal without meat."


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The New Indian Pariahs: Vegetarians - 28/02/12
http://www.npr.org/2012/02/28/147038163/the-new-indian-pariahs-vegetarians