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RN Madhu, the editor-in-chief of Kesari, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) mouthpiece magazine in Kerala, has sparked outrage with a hate speech delivered at a temple event in Kollam on Tuesday, March 13. In his speech, Madhu claimed that only Hindus — not Muslims or Christians — are dying after eating shawarma. While referring to Hindus, he specifically mentioned the ‘Varma’ caste, considered a privileged group in Kerala.
“We eat ‘Shava Varma’ — that means Varma eats dead bodies, which is why it is called ‘Shava Varma’,” Madhu said, making a pun linking the caste name ‘Varma’ with ‘Shava’, the Malayalam word for corpse. “Many people have died in Kerala after consuming shawarma. There is no Muhammad, Ayisha, or Thomas on the list — only Varma.”
Madhu also criticised the growing popularity of Arabian food, alleging that meat-heavy dishes are a negative cultural influence. “Now, the food that satisfies people is Arabian food. Not only in cities, but even in villages, people have started eating late at night. When we walk through the streets in the evening, our nostrils are filled with the smell of burned meat. It feels like walking through a crematorium,” he said. He, however, added that he was not insisting people avoid eating meat.
Madhu went on to attack Vedan, a popular Kerala-based rapper and songwriter, alleging that the artist is backed by powerful sponsors. “It is clear that these forces are the ones dreaming of the nation’s disintegration,” he said, accusing Vedan’s music of promoting caste-based terrorism and separatist ideology. “He injects poison into the minds of the growing young generation,” Madhu added.