The story on NDTV that everyone seems to be loving to hate

Monalisa Das| The News Minute | June 4, 2014 | 05:10 pm IST We Indians are known for our love for food. From Tandoori Chicken in the North to dosa down South, Egg rolls of the East to Vada Pavs in the West, our cuisine is as diverse as we are. And we take a lot of pride in our eating skills as well. Eating in India is often simultaneously connected to the art (yes, we do consider it an art) of eating with our “natural spoons” aka our fingers. Some shudder with contempt, others simply wonder. Fork, spoons, chopsticks- we do not let anything, or anyone come in between us and our food. It may not be the most pleasant view of eating, but how does it matter when the person gorging is enjoying the meal. Feel like pointing out our table manners? Dare at your own risk. Call it ‘disgusting’? That equals stirring up the hornet’s nest. Mind it! Not surprisingly, when NDTV put up the story “Indians Have Some Really REALLY Disgusting Table Manners ” on its website recently, it did not go down well with most of the readers. The piece has been written around a video, Indian Table Etiquette, which does a parody ridiculing the way Indians eat. We devour our tandoori chickens to the bone, not leaving a shred of meat. We slurrrrrrrrp…our tea and coffee. Some of us even eat noodles with our hands. And if one happens to see an Indian eating rice with their fingers, it might be difficult to tell whether they are aiming for the rice or their fingers. Not to forget the infamous burp, without which the whole process of eating remains incomplete. Some of these do stand true, however, the video does stretch our actions. Blame it on our inability to laugh at ourselves or at our defensive temperament, here is what some thought about the whole piece:“The video is certainly over exaggerated ....at least people don't stir their drinks with their finger”“Eating with forks and knives is like making love through an interpreter!! Enjoy your food --- eat it the way you want it”"Indian food is meant to be enjoyed with hand . Eating disgustingly is a totally different thing and is not related to Indians at all”“I dont know how to eat pizza or bread with knife and fork"“What an audacious attempt to insult Indian culture! this article is solely meant for entertainment I guess... Please, do not defame Indians and the food habits after all you are too an Indian and must be eating most of the palatable dishes with your hands only. One must enjoy eating his food no matter how he eats, after all it hids life!!!”“Don't agree”“Who in the world had said ' this is table manner and this is not?' From where did you find that the way indians eat is ill mannered? please can you give us a a reference or a book or the name of the person who set the Rules of Table manner in the world!?Its utter rubbish and over exaggerated and a very open I opinionated video. please do not generalize!”“WHO exactly decided that western table etiquettes would be applicable to Indian food?”“Can anyone explain how to eat Samosa, gol-gappa or paani-puri with spoon ? What about Mithai in form of laddoo, pedha ? Atleast we use our own hands, unlike spoons which is used by many :D. Our food is different, so spoons are not practical at all times. Agree that table manners are must but eating by hands is no way violation of them. Ok, now start eating chocolate with fork”“Too over exaggerated and offensive”“There is no such manners in certain things. Is there a manner in using washroom?”