Mocambo in Kolkata Turned Away A Diner & Her Driver Because Of His Clothes

What possesses people to mistreat and judge a person based on their appearance? 

Dilashi Hemnani was in Kolkata over the weekend and on her last day in the city, she made the decision to go visit the famous Mocambo restaurant on Park Street. Little did she know at the time that the restaurant would turn her away for the strangest of reasons. Because she’d been busy the whole day, Dilashi had forgotten to tell her driver to go eat lunch. So to make up for it, she decided to take him with her for dinner and Mocambo was the restaurant of choice.

At first, the restaurant staff said that there would be a waiting period of 15 minutes. And when they noticed Manish bhaiya (her driver) with her, they increased the waiting time to 45 minutes. When the treatment continued to be so awful and so rude, Dilashi decided to ask questions in order to understand what the deal was. For a restaurant that did not have a dress code, they did not appreciate what Manish bhaiya was wearing (trousers and a shirt) and then they went on to accuse him of being drunk based on reasons nobody will ever know. Dilashi recounted this entire experience in a Facebook post on Saturday, that has been going viral ever since. Take a look:

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How shallow and inhuman have we become ?

Last night being my last day in Kolkata decided to try out this popular restraunt called Mocambo’ at Park Street .I decided to go with my driver -Manish bhaiya here whose great service and care throughout my stay in Kolkata for a week was excellent . (Also yesterday afternoon he missed his lunch because I forgot to tell him to go for lunch – uncertain about the time it would take me to finish the meeting -he missed his lunch)

Guilty of my mistake . I decided to go out for dinner with him .

As soon as I reached Mocambo at around 8:40 PM . I asked the staff to give me a table for 2.

Staff: There is a waiting of 15 minutes .
Me: *as excited I was to try out this popular joint *happily agreed

Staff: *by this time they observed I was with Manish bhaiya * walked up to me and said it will take 45 minutes for the table to get ready .
Me: *little confused by time communicated *earlier …now eagerly asked but you said 15 minutes

Staff: yes the table was going to get empty but they ordered for more food
Me: *peeping through the glass windows *but I can see some empty tables inside .
Staff: they are four seaters.. today is Friday we cannot give that table .
Me: ok

After waiting for 10-15 minutes . When I see people who came after me getting the table .

Me: why are you not giving me the table ?
Staff: Maam we can’t give you a table
Me: But why ?
Staff: who are you with
Me: subtly pointing towards Manish bhaiya .
Staff: aahhh….Maam he is not properly dressed .

Me: * he was cleanly dressed in a cream trouser and a shirt tucked out .. And floaters *
I asked what is your dress code ?
Staff: we don’t have a dress code .
Me: then ??
Staff: No No he is not properly dressed it’s a fine dine restraunt
Me: *agitated by now *what’s wrong with his dressing tell me and is there a written dress code he is not following ?

By this time Manish bhaiya understood parts of the conversation in English and by the daunting looks of the staff -walks up to me and says – ‘Didi hum Nahi Khaenge aap Khana Kha lijiyega na’

Me: * hurt with his innocence and inhuman inconsiderate behaviour of the staff at Mocambo *
Me: call your manager give me a valid reason why he cannot come in .
Staff: goes and calls another person
Me: sir why can’t he come in ?
Staff: because he is drunk
Me: *furious and baffled with the audacity of the staff *How do you know he is drunk ?
Staff: because my other colleague told me he is so
Me: on what basis due you make such assumptions . Did he drink in front of you or did you even go near him * they were standing 2-3 meters apart *He is driving me around since 8 o clock in the morning leave apart being drunk he is not even had food
Staff: but I know he is drunk
Me: prove it then
Me: what’s your name
Staff: I can’t tell you my name
Me: why ?
Staff: No No I can’t it’s just I can’t let you in with him
Me: I Don’t want to get in to your racist restraunt walks away with Manish bhaiya with deep grief in my heart on how Inhuman and shallow the world has become : (

Manish bhaiya is one of the finest human beings I have met in a long time he took good care of me and did his duty with all his heart. He is a simple man make 275 Rs a day for 12 hours of driving and sends more then half of the money back home. he has a difficult life Still he laughs a lot shares a lot of stories and is more human and empathetic then any I know.

To Mocambo staff and restraunt at Park Street Kolkata Which doesn’t consider human as human and differentiates, discriminates and stratifies them into classes just because he doesn’t fit into your description of a perfect customer. (doesn’t own a iPhone maybe doesn’t talk in English) I m sorry you don’t deserve a fine human like Manish bhaiya sitting and eating in your racist restraunt.[/blockquote]

Since the post went up on Saturday, it has been shared 11,316 times and there are over a 1,000 comments from food lovers, Kolkata residents, regulars at Mocambo and people around the country who cannot believe something like this has happened. We couldn’t reach the restaurant for a comment, but it clear to say that they judged Manish based on his appearance and decided that they were not going to serve him. Kolkata’s Park Street has always been known for its fine dining restaurants that have been around for years, but an incident like this might just change the way everyone feels about the restaurant.