The Indian Canteen Review: Chhattisgarh High Court

The bus has dropped me off smack dab in the middle of National Highway two hundred. My heart is still thumping from the excitement of moving at 90 km an hour and evading at least three fatal accidents. Who knew access to justice (or in my case, food) came at the cost of a near heart attack? Why would anyone move the high court from the heart of the city to this virtually uninhabited place? Why is there not so much as a store that sells water around here? How does that bus driver still have a job? So many questions..However, thirst, bewilderment and thoughts about death all took a backseat a I first lay eyes upon the Chhattisgarh High Court. With fastidiously landscaped gardens and neat, shrubbed pathways, the new High Court campus and building resembles a tribute befitting a Mughal emperor..Sadly enough, the fare served at the High Court is (spoiler alert) far from royal. More on that later. I must seek refuge from this oppressive regime…I mean heat..Cold is the draft of air conditioning that greets me as I step through the magnificent entrance of the building; colder is the stare of the policeman waiting to frisk me. What I have heard about the state’s police is playing upon my mind. Never has a metal detector looked more dangerous in a person’s hand. Once I am released, I decide to get right down to it, and ask a brother in black to point me in the right direction. I am picturing myself drinking a cold glass of water, basking in the air conditioned canteen..Someone is playing a cruel joke on me..I find that the canteen is located two floors underground, in a poorly ventilated basement. Needless to say, the air conditioning vents might as well be non-existent. At this point, I wonder whether the high court values its lawyers a little too much. Why else would they want to protect them from a nuclear holocaust while eating lunch?.As I wait in line to order, drenched in perspiration, a couple of fully suited lawyers are staring at me, without breaking a sweat. When my turn does come, the kind lady at the counter (bless her soul) delivers four heart-breaking words. “Thanda paani nahi hain”. (There is no cold water).By the time my food comes to the table, I am well past the point of hope. Even the most mediocre dal in the world or the most rubbery rotis on my plate cannot further disappoint me. The rest of the meal is an aloo-fest, with two potato dishes, along with a huge plate of rice. One thing I have noticed is that people around here love their street food, particularly samosas. Or maybe they just really, really like aloo..The surprise package, and probably the most interesting thing on the menu is the sabudana vada. Light and crispy on the outside, chewy and spicy on the inside, it is the most palatable thing on my plate. It is served with a pungent, bright green coriander chutney; a colourful, chlorophyll condiment, if you will. For dessert, there are jalebis with enough sugar to give you the energy to argue cases for fourteen straight hours after lunch. That is if you can get past the strange taste of the oil the sweets are doused in..Tribal statuettes adorn the walls of the otherwise sparsely decorated canteen. And that is as much diversity as you are going to see in this room. The menu could have certainly benefited from the addition of some interesting local cuisine..As I make my way upstairs towards cooler climes, I find myself double-checking on whether it is a Saturday. Judging by the many empty courtrooms, there is a surprisingly low turnout on a Friday. I even chance upon a couple of lawyers having lunch in court room 5. It then dawns upon me that the Chhattisgarh High Court has a working strength of 9 judges, two of whom happen to be on leave. This goes back to the question of whether the shift to a sprawling campus was necessary at all..As mentioned earlier, the High Court campus is situated in the middle of nowhere, and there are no other options within walking distance. All in all, a pretty disappointing experience..Food – 2.VFM – 3.Comfort – 2.5.(Free) Friendly advice – Come, have a picnic in an air-conditioned court room! And do not forget to pack lunch from home.