Ngaba Ukuzila Ukutya Kushiywe Lixesha?

“BENDIZILA ukutya rhoqo ngeMivulo ukususela xa ndandikwishumi elivisayo,” utsho uMrudulaben, ibhinqa laseIndiya elifumileyo elineminyaka engama-78 ubudala. Oko bekuyinxalenye yonqulo lwakhe, indlela yokuqiniseka ukuba umtshato wakhe uhlala uqinile nabantwana basempilweni, kwaye nomyeni wakhe ukhuselekile. Ngoku ekubeni engumhlolokazi, usaqhubeka ezila ukutya ngeMivulo ukuze abe sempilweni nokuze abantwana bakhe babe nenkqubela. Kukho inkoliso yamabhinqa angamaHindu eyenza ukuzila ukutya rhoqo kube yinxalenye yobomi bawo njengaye.

UPrakash, indoda eliqina engusomashishini ehlala kwihlomela ledolophu yaseMumbai (eBombay), eIndiya, uthi uzila ukutya minyaka le ngeMivulo yeSawan (iShravan). Le yinyanga ebaluleke gqitha kwikhalenda yonqulo lwamaHindu. UPrakash uchaza athi: “Ndaqalisa ngenxa yezizathu zonqulo, kodwa ngoku kukho enye into endishukumisela ukuba ndiqhubeke ndisenjenjalo ngenxa yempilo. Ekubeni iSawan ibakho ngasekupheleni kwexesha leemvula ezinkulu, oku kunika umzimba wam ithuba lokuzicoca kwizigulo ezibakho ngexesha leemvula.”

Bambi bathi ukuzila ukutya kuyamnceda umntu ngokwasemzimbeni, ngokwasengqondweni nangokomoya. Ngokomzekelo, iGrolier International Encyclopedia ithi: “Uphando lwakutshanje lwenzululwazi lubonisa ukuba ukuzila ukutya kunokunik’ impilo yaye, xa kusenziwa ngobulumko, kunokumenza aqiqe yaye abe sezingqondweni ngakumbi umntu.” Kuthiwa isithandi-bulumko esingumGrike uPlato sasizila iintsuku ezilishumi okanye ngaphezulu yaye ingcali yezibalo uPythagoras yayibenza bazile ukutya abafundi bayo ngaphambi kokuba ibafundise.

Kwabanye, ukuzila ukutya kuthetha ukungatyi nokungaseli kangangexesha elimiselweyo, ngoxa abanye besebenzisa izinto eziselwayo xa bezila ukutya. Ukuphoswa zizidlo ezithile okanye ukungatyi uhlobo oluthile lokutya kugqalwa njengokuzila ukutya ngabaninzi. Kodwa ukuzila ukutya ixesha elide ngaphandle kolwalathiso kunokuba yingozi. Intatheli uParul Sheth uthi emva kokuba umzimba utsale kuvimba wawo weecarbohydrate, uguqula iiproteni zezihlunu zibe yiglucose uze emva koko ungene kumafutha omzimba. Ukuguqula amafutha abe yiglucose kuvelisa izinto ezinetyhefu ezibizwa ngokuba ziiketone bodies. Njengoko zisanda, ziya ebuchotsheni, zihlasele inkqubo yemithambo-luvo. USheth uthi: “Kulapho ukuzila ukutya kuba yingozi khona. Unokuziva udidekile, ulahlekile yaye ugula nangakumbi. . . . [Kunokubangela] i-coma kuze ekugqibeleni kubulale.”

Isixhobo Nesithethe

Ukuzila ukutya kuye kwasetyenziswa njengesixhobo esinamandla kwezobupolitika okanye ekuhlaleni. Umntu ophambili owasebenzisa esi sixhobo nguMohandas K. Gandhi eIndiya. Ekubeni wayegqalwa njengomntu obekekileyo ngamakhulu ezigidi zabantu, wasebenzisa ukuzila ukutya ukuze abe nempembelelo enamandla kwizihlwele zamaHindu aseIndiya. Echaza umphumo wokuzila kwakhe ukutya ukuze azinzise imbambano yemveliso eyayiphakathi kwabasebenzi bemizi-mveliso nabanini mizi-mveliso, uGandhi wathi: “Umphumo wako waba bubukho bemo yoxolo kubo bonke. Iintliziyo zabanini mizi-mveliso zachukumiseka . . . Ugwayimbo lwapheliswa emva kokuba ndizile iintsuku ezintathu kuphela.” Umongameli waseMzantsi Afrika, uNelson Mandela, wathabath’ inxaxheba kugwayimbo lokutya lweentsuku ezintlanu ebudeni beminyaka awayelibanjwa lezobupolitika ngalo.

Noko ke, inkoliso yabo baye bazila ukutya iye yakwenza oko ngezizathu zonqulo. Ukuzila ukutya kusisithethe esibalulekileyo kubuHindu. Incwadi ethi Fast and Festivals of India, ithi ngeentsuku ezithile “kuzilwa ukutya ngokupheleleyo . . . kwanamanzi awaselwa tu kwaphela. Amadoda nabafazi bazila ukutya ngokungqongqo . . . ukuze baqinisekise ulonwabo, inkqubela nokuxolelwa kweziphoso nezono.”

Ukuzila ukutya kuqheliselwa ngokubanzi kunqulo lwamaJain. IThe Sunday Times of India Review inikela le ngxelo: “Imuni [inyange] ethile engumJain yaseBombay [eMumbai] yayisela iiglasi ezimbini kuphela zamanzi abilisiweyo ngosuku—kangangeentsuku ezingama-201. Yalahlekelwa ziikhilogram ezingama-33.” Bambi bade bazile ukutya de bafe yindlala, beyisekile kwelokuba oku kuya kuzisa usindiso.

Kuwo onke amadoda asele ekhulile angamaSilamsi, ukuzila ukutya kusisinyanzelo ebudeni benyanga kaRamadan. Awatyi okanye asele manzi ukususela ekuphumeni kwelanga de litshone kangangenyanga yonke. Nabani na ogulayo okanye oseluhambeni ebudeni beli xesha umele azibuyekeze ezo ntsuku zokuzila ukutya. ILent, ixesha eliziintsuku ezingama-40 ezingaphambi kweIsta, lixesha lokuzila ukutya kwabanye abakwiNgqobhoko, yaye imibutho emininzi yonqulo izila ukutya ngezinye iintsuku ezikhethekileyo.

Ngokuqinisekileyo ukuzila ukutya akukapheli. Yaye ekubeni kuyinxalenye yeenkonzo ezininzi kangaka, sisenokubuza, Ngaba uThixo ufuna kuzilwe ukutya? Ngaba zikho izihlandlo amaKristu anokugqiba kwelokuba azile ukutya ngazo? Ngaba oku kunokuba yingenelo? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuxubusha ngale mibuzo.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 3]

Unqulo lwamaJain lugqala ukuzila ukutya njengendlela yokufumana ukusindiswa komphefumlo

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UMohandas K. Gandhi wasebenzisa ukuzila ukutya njengesixhobo esinamandla seenjongo zezobupolitika okanye zasekuhlaleni

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

Kunqulo lwamaSilamsi, ukuzila ukutya kusisinyanzelo ebudeni benyanga kaRamadan

[Inkcazelo]

Garo Nalbandian