Aryaman Kakkar's Archive

We are what we eat. And yet, we do not explore how the food we eat is made. We are yet to know what goes on behind the curtain in the culinary arts, the heart and birthplace of the mouth-watering dishes we desire. This summer, I attempted to peek behind the chameleon curtain and conducted two interviews with executives in the industry. With the help of Raghav Mahendru, Head of the Food Department of the coffee company ‘Blue Tokai’ and Mr.Sanjay Behl, the Manager of the Kitchen at the Radisson Hotel, Jalandhar, I have delved into the realm of food and learnt of the culture that weaves in and out of our daily lives. Here we are talking about three things; the evolution of food, India, and the world. Food is an integral aspect for the existence of society. In the 1990’s, we saw a lot of development in terms of software and the technology revolution. When Infosys came into being, it was easy noticing how the hotel industry began to grow. Eating habits governed the whole gamut of food and w...

In a historic decision on September 6, 2018, the Supreme Court of India partially de-criminalised Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The unanimous decision taken by a Constitution bench comprising five judges which overturned the SC ruling of 2013, was met with great public acclaim. With homosexuality now legal, India has taken another step on the path to true social equality for minorities. With the Judges of the SC terming part of Section 377 as “irrational, indefensible, and manifestly arbitrary”, the Court has done away with an obsolete colonial law which has been operational for 158 years. However, the central government’s hostility to the idea of granting civil rights to the LGBTQ community is evident in the statements made by luminaries of the ruling party. The government counsel in July asked the Court to limit itself to Section 377 and not expand to civil rights because “The government would oppose any demand to legalise same-sex marriage.” Such orthodox sentiments ar...