At any large international event, however prestigious, most guests, delegates and invitees eventually retreat to their hotels and order room service.
They don’t come to these gatherings for the food. They come for the people in the room; they come to do business.
Take the LME Dinner, one of London’s most prestigious business gatherings.
Over 35 years attended several with my husband.
In the ’80s and early ’90s, the less said about British cuisine, the better.
The food improved later, but one still pecked politely at one’s plate. Going back and ordering room service was the norm or if one was up to it - a late night eatery.
Once, a group of us - Dutch, British, South African and Norwegian ended the evening at McDonald’s, (men in dinner jackets and women in formal evening wear) and then on to a bar till the wee hours….Saying no more talking shop and then only talking shop because that’s why they were there in the first place.
So the endless quibbling over the BRICS menu is perhaps a uniquely Indian media obsession….particularly among our freeloading media, accustomed to eating for a week when the food is free.
And about serving non-vegetarian food at a gathering representing multiple countries, cultures and dietary requirements isn’t as simple as it sounds.
Halal itself requires careful consideration. Add Jhatka, and you open yet another needless controversy.
The practical answer is remarkably simple: eat vegetarian. Or order room service.
Nobody came to BRICS for the buffet.
Yaar, there are bigger things to talk about.
And by the way. Shut. Up.
This is getting stupid.