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Celebrities give their take on: Mocambo and discrimination

Mocambo restaurant allegedly refused to serve a lady customer on Saturday because she was accompanied by her driver.

Earlier this week, Mocambo, one of the oldest and most well-known restaurant’s located in Kolkata’s Park Street, allegedly refused to serve a lady customer on Saturday because she was accompanied by her driver. Dilashi Hemnani, whose Facebook profile says she is a Marketing Manager at Tata Motors, wrote a post on the social media platform giving a detailed account of the alleged discriminatory behaviour of the restaurant. “How shallow and inhuman have we become?” she lamented. Following the debacle, we take a closer look on whether class discrimination is still a relevant issue that often remains unacknowledged. Also, is it just one instance or is it seen and practiced in our society on a daily basis?

We get celebrities to give their take on a current issue each week and lend their perspective to a much-discussed topic. This week we talk about: MOCAMBO AND DISCRIMINATION.

A.S. Ajithkumar, Dalit activist: ‘Discrimination is embedded in our culture’

I did not find the Mocambo episode a shocking one. The controversy is the result of just a middle-class anxiety and such discrimination is not something that happens only in an elite restaurant. The mindset of treating low caste or low class people inferior has always been there in our society. In fact, this discrimination is embedded in our culture. The emergence of elite places and restaurants also stems from this mindset. People believe that those who are smartly dressed deserve respect. There are certain norms set by society for a 'decent dress code'. Suppose a person from the lower strata of society goes to a so-called elite place, even if he is dressed up properly, he will feel a kind of exclusion. The distinction is there in the very ambience of the place. And, this is likely to remain.

Priyank Sukhija, restaurateurs: ‘We often get to see this in Delhi as well’

Class discrimination is a very sad state of few sad minds. It is shameful to restrict someone to enjoy on the basis of nationality or class. Sad but true that we often get to see this in Delhi as well. But I am happy that all of my ventures are meant to entertain everyone. I dont have such bar on entries. On the other hand, I also feel that with social media becoming such powerful tools, at times few groups try to malign the image by putting one side of the story. I also feel we should go in detail before blaming the restaurant. We have been victim of such accusations at times, so I firmly believe to see both the side of coins before making an opinion.

Nico Goghavala, restaurateurs: ‘Discrimination based on background is unfair’

Forget India, every restaurant across the world keep the right to admission reserved to themselves, which means that they can stop someone from entering for reasons which might not deem right for the decorum of the restaurant. This is understandable. For example, if there’s a fine dine restaurant and they have a particular dress code, they usually don’t allow people in shorts and slippers, even though they might come in a Ferrari. This is a well-known fact and if in a private property, someone wants to maintain a certain atmosphere that is his or her discretion. Quite pertinent would be to remember the famous incident when M.F. Hussain wasn’t allowed entry to The Willingdon Sports Club because he was barefoot. However, discrimination based on background of a person is absolutely unfair. In my restaurant, we have no such dress codes and often during summers the guy who work in the parking come to our restaurant to have nimbu-paani. Of course they pay for it. So we don’t see that as a problem. But the larger picture is that people these days can so easily badmouth and tarnish the restaurants on social media. I have personally known people who were affected by this phenomenon. Most often people, who don’t know about food, or wine, would write about food as if they are food critics. Restaurants are the easy targets of the wrath.

Sanjjanaa, actress: ‘Management should have been more sensible with the issue’

It is absolutely fine if the restaurant has some pre-defined dress code like some clubs. But the management should have been more sensible with the issue. Like many five star hotels, where they are strict about their guest's dress code and appearance, if Mocambo too wanted their standards to be set high, then a simple notification would have been more helpful. It is a simple case of mismanagement and nothing to do with class discrimination.

Anil Shetty, social entrepreneur: ‘Class discrimination is indeed a monster’

Yes. I believe that class discrimination is indeed a monster, which rears its head more often than we think. We could deny it or veil it for a bit, but not completely turn a blind eye towards the fact that racism and prejudice, on the basis of one’s social standing and class, at least to a sizable degree, is rampant in modern India. Considering it’s the second case that has come to light in recent times (with an earlier instance of a judge being denied entry into the TNCA for wearing a dhoti), it’s high time stringent rules are imposed against ridiculous biases and reservations. Unless we bring in harsh rules to curb the issue, we’ll only be seeing more of it.

Rajshekhar Mansur, Hindustani classical vocalist: ‘These incidents should be discouraged’

I think such incidents in today’s day and age is absolutely condemnable. Although it is unfortunate that not just in India, but we hear of such incidents all around the globe, Unless it’s a genuine security threat, these incidents should be discouraged. In music concerts anyone and everyone are welcome, barring a few seats, which are meant for guests.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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