Politics to the defence of the life of poi

Even as the Reserve Bank of India suffered from a post-demonetisation embarrassment of riches in that the banned bank notes that were returned to it far exceeded sarkari estimates and left governor Urjit Patel with a surfeit of what is colloquially known as bread, the edible variety of dough is facing a life-threatening crisis in Goa.

The local bread known as poi, or pav, which was introduced by the Portuguese, is reportedly in danger of extinction, according to a distress signal sent out by the All Goa Bakers’ Association which claims that some 40% of home-run bakeries have shut shop.

Among the reasons cited are increasing competition from machinemade products and the rising cost of ingredients.

However, there is hope yet for the Goan poi in that no less than the former defence minister — who has returned as chief minister of the state for the second time — is championing its cause as a ‘heritage’ product representative of Konkan culture that has to be protected, if necessary, at subsidised cost. Casting bread on the waters of the Mandovi, the chief minister has promised a ‘poi subsidy’ to the profession, a move that would inject literal meaning into the metaphor regarding the distribution of the loaves and fishes of political office, though it may provide only crumbs of comfort to the beleaguered bakers.