Ramadan, No Lamb, I Lament, Ding Dong
Ramadan kicked off on Saturday, which as you will know requires all Muslims who are able, to fast from sunrise to sunset.
The fasting part isn't going to be a problem in India, where food prices have shot up due to the poor monsoon rains.
It's the celebratory "iftar", the fast-breaking meal eaten at sunset, that is the problem for Indian Muslims this year.
Many are furious with the government for failing to halt the rapidly rising food prices, meaning that they can't afford to buy the ingredients for traditional fast-breaking meals.
In Southern states such as Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, Muslims break their fast with nonbu kanji, a rich, filling rice dish of porridge consistency, cooked for hours with lamb and vegetables.
One woman told Reuters that her family can only afford to break the fast with a handful of dates, and that they are too embarrassed to tell their friends and neighbours that they can't afford a feast.
India's summer-sown rice area is now seen down more than 20% this year to 22.8 million acres, and the country's main reservoirs are at just 38% of capacity.
The government are still curiously dragging their heels on releasing wheat and rice from state-owned stocks to ease the situation in the worlds second most populous country.
The fasting part isn't going to be a problem in India, where food prices have shot up due to the poor monsoon rains.
It's the celebratory "iftar", the fast-breaking meal eaten at sunset, that is the problem for Indian Muslims this year.
Many are furious with the government for failing to halt the rapidly rising food prices, meaning that they can't afford to buy the ingredients for traditional fast-breaking meals.
In Southern states such as Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, Muslims break their fast with nonbu kanji, a rich, filling rice dish of porridge consistency, cooked for hours with lamb and vegetables.
One woman told Reuters that her family can only afford to break the fast with a handful of dates, and that they are too embarrassed to tell their friends and neighbours that they can't afford a feast.
India's summer-sown rice area is now seen down more than 20% this year to 22.8 million acres, and the country's main reservoirs are at just 38% of capacity.
The government are still curiously dragging their heels on releasing wheat and rice from state-owned stocks to ease the situation in the worlds second most populous country.