Sanjeev Sanyal defends Indian tradition of eating with hands

Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, has defended the Indian tradition of eating with hands following social media criticism. The debate was sparked by a video of a South Indian wedding shared by a user in Florida, who questioned why people in the video were eating without utensils.

Responding on X, Sanyal suggested that if an individual cannot bear to touch their food and requires metal instruments, it may be a “bad idea to put it in your mouth.” He further criticized what he described as a Western double standard, noting that many people who mock South Asian dining customs frequently consume foods such as pizza, burgers, and fries with their bare hands.

Sanyal also noted that hygiene can be maintained by washing hands before a meal, countering arguments that hand-eating is inherently unhygienic.