A brewing diplomatic row over the menu served at a recent BRICS summit has triggered fond recollections from Iceland's former president, who remembered personally ensuring that a visiting A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was treated to a fully vegetarian meal during his state visit to Reykjavik in 2006.
The current controversy centres on reports that Indian delegates at the latest BRICS gathering raised concerns over the food arrangements, with sources suggesting that the absence of adequate vegetarian options caused discomfort among the Indian delegation. While the BRICS grouping — comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and other member nations — is primarily a platform for economic and geopolitical cooperation, small diplomatic oversights such as catering have, in the past, drawn pointed attention from host countries and visiting delegations alike.
Recalling his own experience, the former Icelandic president said that when former Indian President Abdul Kalam visited Iceland, every detail of the official banquet was tailored to accommodate Indian dietary customs. "We made sure the entire menu was vegetarian, respecting the President's personal preference and India's rich culture of plant-based dining," the former leader said in interviews.
Abdul Kalam, widely known for his simple lifestyle and deep respect for Indian traditions, was famously a strict vegetarian throughout his life. His 2006 visit to Iceland was one of the few state visits by an Indian president to the Nordic country, and the warm reception extended to cultural gestures as much as formal diplomatic engagement.
Diplomatic analysts say the BRICS menu incident underscores the growing prominence of India within the bloc and its willingness to raise even seemingly minor concerns on the international stage. Food, they note, has often been a sensitive indicator of cultural respect in high-level diplomacy, and nations are increasingly attentive to such细节 in multilateral settings.
