April 4540Vinda-moo crisis scandalises GerajansFollowing an investigation by the Ministry of Agriculture, it has been revealed that the microwave lamb vindaloo meals produced by a food processing company in western Dendhadrash have become contaminated by beef. It is not yet clear how this happened. Several theories are circulating, amongst which are:
- that it was human error.
- that lamb mixed with beef was mis-sold to the company by rogue traders
- that agents deliberately contaminated the meat in order to antagonise Gerajans. Some suspect Hosians in Malivia, whilst others suspect groups from Keymon or Selucia.
The cow is a sacred animal for Malivia's Gerajans, who have expressed widespread outrage at the scandal. According to one Gerajan tradition, anyone who eats or even touches cow meat immediately loses his or her caste status and becomes an "untouchable" - a class of people outside the caste system entirely who are traditionally treated as scorned social outcasts. All day, Gerajan priests have been fielding questions on this on radio talk shows. Most are trying to reassure callers that nothing terrible has happened to them, although a few more conservative ones are maintaining that anyone who touches beef even inadvertently is "cursed" and has become untouchable. Several Gerajan gurus are offering to reverse the "curse" incurred by beef-eating in exchange for sums of money ranging variously from 100 to 100,000 crowns.
Prime Minister Amish Padagavakar has described the situation as "completely unacceptable", and promised "a full investigation to get to the bottom of what happened here". He also renewed his call for beef to be completely banned in Malivia. "At the moment, cattle slaughter is banned, but the sale of beef is still legal," he said, arguing that "if we had a complete beef ban across the whole of Malivia, then this sort of incident might be less likely". He also added that "If this was indeed done deliberately, then we would consider it a hate crime and take it very, very seriously indeed".
Padagavakar awards satyagrahis Medals of Honour, lashes out at "invasion" rhetoricIn a further escalation in the dispute between Malivia and Selucia over the fall-out from the satyagrahi stunt, Prime Minister Amish Padagavakar has personally awarded Medals of Honour to all of the satyagrahi participants. "Malivia is proud of you," he told them at a reception in Government House. "You have stood up for truth and justice, and exposed the Selucian statelet for the illegitimate, rotten and failed institution that it really is". He went on to describe
Claudia Severa's description of the satagrahis as an "invasion" as "completely ludicrous and profoundly offensive", saying the satyagrahis are "peaceful demonstrators who had every right to demonstrate on a beach in their own country". Furthermore, he denied claims that there is any connection between the satyagrahis and the Malivian government.
He also revealed more information about the allegations of brutality by the Selucian police, and released a series of photographs to the world's press, which he claims "reveal to the world the brutality of the forces illegally partitioning our country and occupying the Malivy Islands".
Padagavakar attacks Keymon''s "racism and anti-Gerajan bigotry", demands consular access to alleged terroristsPrime Minister Amish Padagavakar has launched a blistering attack on Keymon's
controversial decision to ban Rajuttis and Gerajans from working in its meat industry, calling it "pure, undiluted racism and anti-Gerajan bigotry". He called on the international community to "consider sanctions" against Keymon.
He also demanded that if any Malivian citizens have been or are later arrested on suspicion of involvement in the food-poisoning plot, then those citizens should be given access to Malivian diplomats. "We are determined that our citizens should be treated fairly," he said. "If they really are guilty, then we accept they should be punished, but there has to be due process".
Striking a more emollient note, Padagavakar denied the junta's claim that Keymonites in Malivia are unsafe. "We have a small Keymonite community here in Malivia, and we are honoured to have them and hope they will continue to remain here - there is no need for them to be unduly alarmed", he said.