Discrimination in the village, fame abroad: 'Safe' from house to house in Dalit slums

"Because of the reason I touched, the teacher didn't eat it with my classmates, I had to waste it all," said the bitter experience of four decades ago, "Since then, the desire to cook and feed the world has grown in my heart."

He made the introduction of ``Cook'' and prestigious ``Safe'' through ordinary cooking, and spent nearly three decades in the ``Kitchen'' of internationally renowned hotels. He held the 'Kitchen Command' in five star hotels in countries like India, UAE and Japan.

In 2021, Panchthar's Pauwa migrated from Sarrap to Jhapa's Bahundangi, Manroop Shankar, Manikumar's father. At that time there was a dense forest. Uprooted and resettled. Manikumar along with 8 brothers and one sister grew up with the plague of malaria. "At that time, it was not the elephants, but the terror of the monkeys that shocked me," Manikumar remembers. He used to go to the forest for firewood all day long. On Saturdays and Tuesdays, he used to cross Mechi and reach Naxalbari market to sell firewood. And with the little money that came from selling firewood, he used to run the household expenses. He used to pay for education. "I gave up to the 10th grade exam," Manikumar said, "I entered Muglan on the day the exam was over."

When he entered India in 2038, he had a note in his pocket, of 50 bharu. Trains used to come and go at Siliguri railway station - from Delhi, Mumbai, Madras to Kolkata. However, he did not know his destination. The cheapest fare was from Kolkata. He boarded the Sealdah Express train to Kolkata. Manikumar was the first person in the family to leave home and enter Mughal. Reached Kolkata and checked into the hotel. After washing dishes for two and a half years, he got an opportunity to cook. While living in Kolkata for 6 years, he had become adept at cooking delicious dishes.

Khantare called Bhai Budhishan from the village to Kolkata and entrusted him with his work and he rushed to Bangalore. Offered to work at Taj Hotel in Bangalore. At first they didn't believe him. When he said "don't look at my work" he was put on trial. Taj liked her work. He was kept permanently. Then he called Dhruv Shankar, the eldest son of his uncle.

Manishankar's brother Dhruv.

After Dhruva, his younger brother Kiran and younger brother Khemraj also came to Bangalore. Everyone started working as a cook in a hotel. "Since the 2040s, I have been connecting Bhai-Bhajita with the hotel line," said Manikumar, "now more than 70 men in my family are safe in different countries."

The experience of Bangalore's Taj Hotel took him to Japan. After spending three years there, he stayed in the UAE for four to five years. He arrived in Japan around 1997. According to him, there were no Nepalis in Japan then like now. They met only sporadically. After returning from Japan, he was working at the Taj Hotel in Bangalore. Suddenly got an opportunity. Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world, was launching a luxury hotel called Fairmount in Dubai. He was selected as the head safe of that hotel. "Taj and Japan's experience worked," he said, "It's not the language, it's the talent and ability of people that matters." However, he was selected as an Asian safe based on his ability to work. In the year 2000, his salary was 130,000 baht. His nephew Dhruv had already reached Dubai. Dhruva was working in a five-star hotel called Jamera Beach located in the middle of the sea. One day Sheikh Mohammed bin Al Maktoum from Dubai came to dinner. When the food tastes good, he sticks out his tongue and says, "Who made this food?" I want that safe.' Then Dhruv joined Shaikh's personal cook. While working at the Sheikh's palace, Dhruv had the opportunity to travel to many countries in Europe and Middle East Asia, including the UK, South Africa. "Wherever the Sheikh visited, we had to go together," he said, "Sheikh would not eat food unless I cooked it."

After working for eight years, Dhruv suddenly went to Canada in 2008. His resignation was not accepted by the palace for three months after his Canadian visa. Sheikh's only condition was, 'Bring someone who cooks sweet food like you and then go.' Dhruv was in a crisis. Where do you go to find someone with the same cooking skills as you? Well done.

Coincidentally, his younger brother Kiran was also working in a five-star hotel in Dubai. He decided to recruit Kiran in his place. After putting Kiran on 'trial' for 15 days, the palace finally accepted. And the way was open for Dhruv to fly to Canada. Dhruv has been with his family in Canada for a decade and a half. He is safe there too.

There were only 375 people from various countries in the Royal Palace. One of them was Dhruv. Kiran joined after Dhruv flew to Canada. He was recruited into the personal safe of Queen Sheikh Hyena. 5,000 dirham salary, family room, yearly round trip plane tickets were all provided by the palace.

Rani sometimes gave bonuses during visits, even boxis when she found the food delicious. He flew to Britain several times, on a private palace jet. "I have never seen such a ship in my life," he shared his experience, "it was bigger and more special than a five-star hotel."

He got sick after covid. He came back after recovery, but could not work. Finally, Darbar moved his brother Dhruva on the same condition, "Bring someone who cooks as well as you and leave you alone." If he stayed in the village, he could neither study nor earn. "The struggle has made a common man like me safe," he says. However, there is an inner fear that the investment made in the restaurant will sink - 'How much will Nepali society, which is bound by caste narrowness, accept me as a cousin?'

Bikram Shankar.

About 70 people have joined this wave discussed by Manikumar. The wave has spread from Bangalore in India to Dubai, Canada and the UK. Vikram Shankar, Poorna Bahadur Century, Roshan Century, Sanjay and Vijay Shankar are the safes of a dozen different star hotels in the UK. Two dozen including Siddharth Shankar, Bhim Kalikote are in Dubai. Sanman Ruchal, Ghamandasingh Kalikote, Devu Khati, Ganga Khati, Dik Bahadur Shankar, Dumbar Shankar and others are in Bangalore. The third generation is active in the kitchen of the Manikumar family. Nepali Hindu society has rejected the water touched by Dalits. But this Dalit family of Jhapa countryside has earned not only fame but also wealth through the profession of cooking.

whose food was tasted by Bush to Blair

Dalit poor on top of that. There was sadness at home. There was a lack of scarcity. Kailash Vishwakarma went to Mumbai in 2042 after being sent up. Before that, Kailash of Bahundangi had only reached Naxalbari by crossing the far Mechi. He had no relatives in Birano town. In the early days, he started working in a clinic. His job was to re-sterilize used syringes by boiling them in water. He used to get a little money for that. So he lived alone.

He also worked with then superstar Rishi Kapoor, as a personal boy. After leaving work with Kapoor, he joined a hotel, that too in Dubai. He started working at the famous Dubai Plaza Hotel in the late 1990s. After seven months of training, he got the responsibility of the kitchen. After serving in that hotel from 1999 to 2002, he transferred to the five-star Hotel Metropolitan. He also held the position of Chief Safe at Dubai Hilton.

Vishwakarma in particular has a good involvement in Italian dishes. He was also the head chef of the Italian dish at the world famous Sheraton Hotel in Dubai. He claims that the dishes cooked by him were relished by former US President George W. Bush, Nelson Mandela and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. International personalities ate the food he prepared when they visited Dubai. From 2014, he went directly to Scotland from Dubai.

Now he lives in Scotland, running 'KB Italian Kitchen', with his family. "My restaurant is popular in Scotland for Italian food," he says.