JOIN USNo homemade wine for Hyderabad's Little England
There used to be nearly a hundred Anglo-Indian families living in the Railway quarters of South Lalaguda. Christmas, used to be a carnival.
The government’s decision on wine making at home has not been met with the approval of those who have chosen to remain in India.
“Earlier also there were search and seize operations by the Excise cops, they even once searched the house of Maxwell Trevor the famous Cyclist, but this time it’s a complete no as many families do sell the wine to those who do not know how to brew the wine, and excise department is not happy with it,” said Joel Fernandez a local bakery owner.
“Wine and cake are an inherent part of Christmas celebrations. Wine making is reserved for special occasions like Christmas, weddings or the New Year. Homemade wine is fruity in flavour and hardly has alcoholic content,” says Waren La Touche, President, Anglo-Indian Association, and Twin Cities.
In Hyderabad, some members of the community had started selling wine throughout the year, commercialising it. Earlier, a bottle of homemade wine used to cost Rs 100 but now, it’s Rs 300 per bottle.
Christian Lazarus, the nominated MLA of the AP Assembly representing the Anglo-Indian community of the state, told Deccan Herald that the ban, which was initiated at the time of K Rosaiah as chief minister was meant for only sale of homemade wine and not on making it.
Meanwhile, preparations are on for the community members. The community members who will meet at South Lalaguda from different parts of the world this year and are bound to have a gala time. The festival concludes with a ball room dance on December 26, Boxing Day.
Leaving the thorny issue of homemade wine aside, Anglo-Indians are busy making other the Christmas specialties like meat ball curry, coconut rice, pork vindaloo, guava cheese and plum cakes.