Former Kerala Finance Minister and senior CPM leader Thomas Isaac has raised questions as the Hindu-Muslim meal row related to Vistara airline continues on social media. He took to the X platform and urged a boycott of Vistara airlines, noting that the categorisation reinforces divisive religious identities. Isaac denounced Vistara for designating vegetarian meals as "Hindu" and non-vegetarian meals as "Muslim," arguing that this approach exacerbates religious polarisation. He highlighted that only 44% of Hindus are vegetarian and subtly questioned what the food menu implies for Christian passengers.

Hindu-Muslim meal row 

Many people online are upset with Vistara for what they see as unfairly dividing food into ‘Hindu Meal’ and ‘Muslim Meal’. They ask why vegetarian meals are called ‘Hindu’ and chicken meals ‘Muslim’. Critics argue that this suggests all Hindus are vegetarian and all Muslims eat meat, which is not true.

In response, some people have explained that Vistara’s meal labels follow international standards, not Vistara's own choice. They mention the International Air Transport Association (IATA) meal codes, which help airlines manage and communicate meal preferences consistently. These codes are used by many airlines around the world.

What are IATA meal codes?

IATA meal codes are short labels used by airlines to show different types of meals on flights. They help ensure that passengers get the meals they need or want. Here’s what the codes mean:

HLML - Hindu Meal: A meal following Hindu dietary rules, usually avoiding beef and pork, and sometimes certain spices or ingredients.
MOML - Muslim Meal: A meal that follows Islamic dietary laws, excluding pork and alcohol, with meat being halal and prepared according to Islamic principles.

Other IATA meal codes include Vegetarian Vegan Meal, Vegetarian Oriental Meal, Diabetic Meal, Kosher Meal, Low Fat Meal, Low Salt Meal, Non-Fat Meal, Seafood Meal, and Western Meal.