We write this paean to the chicken — rather than an edit on the pains of avian flu — with our fingers crossed (a good substitute for scientific confirmation), hoping that no human case of bird flu has been identified. So what’s been the most frequently asked question in the last month? All those who answer ‘What are your views on the nuclear deal?’, it’s still daal-roti for you. For those replying, ‘Are you eating chicken?’, proudly reclaim your place in Delhi’s exalted kukkar circles.
The flu fear in India started on a confused pitch. From day one, ‘Bird flu hits India’ headlines were accompanied by the National Egg Coordination Committee’s ads proclaiming, ‘No bird flu. Dig into that drumstick’, etc. Reports of infected birds found in several states were accompanied by the poultry industry’s campaign ‘to eat chicken and eggs’. Thankfully, advertisers quickly homed in on the fact that denying the existence of avian flu in India wasn’t helping sales and was, instead, ruffling too many feathers. To get the chicken to curry favour from its clientele, who better to call on than celebrities? From political leaders to Bollywood and cricket stars, we have never seen more celebrities tucking into a chicken wing and a leg in our high-cholesterol lives.
It’s been a month since the first case of bird flu had the country chicken out of eating poultry. With national pluck restored, the bird’s back on the menu — cooked, of course, at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees C. As for the H5N1 virus, it remains contained in bird populations. But it’ll live to tell its human tale hopefully after we’ve found the vaccine.
{{/usCountry}}It’s been a month since the first case of bird flu had the country chicken out of eating poultry. With national pluck restored, the bird’s back on the menu — cooked, of course, at a minimum temperature of 70 degrees C. As for the H5N1 virus, it remains contained in bird populations. But it’ll live to tell its human tale hopefully after we’ve found the vaccine.
{{/usCountry}}