Reddit users slam Indian school for translating food names to English: ‘Colonial slave mentality’ | Trending

The post led humorous English translations of Indian foods.(Reddit) A Reddit post has sparked widespread discussion online after it highlighted a message reportedly shared with students in English-medium schools. The post titled “Colonial slave mentality is crazy in English medium schools,” focused on a forwarded message where common Indian food items were humorously translated into English, leading to awkward and amusing results. Among the translations were samosa, referred to as “Rissole,” gulab jamun as “Rose Water Berry,” gol gappa as “Waterball,” poha as “Beaten/Flattened Rice,” and jalebi as “Funnel Cake.” The post has since ignited a conversation on social media, with many users reflecting on the impact of colonialism on language and practices in English-medium schools. Take a look at the post: The backlash wasn’t limited to the post itself, as comments flooded in, pointing out the absurdity of the translations. One user said, “Even foreigners do not use these names for Indian dishes lol. Like no foreigner will ever call Gulab Jamun ‘Rose Water Berry,’ they simply mispronounce it as ‘Gulag Jaymoon’ or something.” Another wrote, “What’s wrong with this thread, are these people not seeing the problem? The problem isn’t using English, the problem is the low-quality literal translation of Indian food that foreigners will laugh at. You are getting mob lynched for saying ‘waterballs’ instead of pani puri, and I HOPE you get mob lynched.” The forwarded message also included dishes like Dosa labelled as “Crispy Rice Pancake,” Bhel Puri as “Puffed Rice,” and Kaju Katli as “Cashew Nut Fudge.” The translations have been met with ridicule, with many agreeing that these terms are both inaccurate and unnecessary. Critics of this practice argue that Indian dishes should retain their original names, even in English-medium schools, as these names carry cultural significance and are widely recognised globally. While some found humour in the situation, others viewed it as a serious issue, urging schools to avoid such translations and embrace the authentic names of Indian cuisine. A user wrote, “What’s wrong with this thread, are these people not seeing the problem . The problem isn’t using english, the problem is the low quality literal translation of indian food that foreigners will laugh at. You are getting mob lynched for saying “waterballs” instead of pani puri and i HOPE you get mob lynched, i’m going to make your family vanish if you use any of these terms while speaking english.” Another agreed saying, “Exactly!!! The problem is not speaking English, it’s erasing your own culture and hory to appear white/Western. Even the japanese/italian speak English but not one japanese/ italian guy will call sushi Rice balls with fish or pizza a bread with vegetable toppings.” A user commented, “The food items mentioned here have originated in India/South Asia right so why is there is a need for translations is beyond my understanding. Like one doesn’t translate a French food item just use the original term.” Also read: When spirituality met technology: Thai monk uses Google Translate to spread wisdom