HYDERABAD: What crosses your mind when you hear the word food? Several visitors at the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) named various delicacies ranging from chicken biriyani to baklava. Few even said Swiggy and Food Panda. But that one word which was lost in the din was ‘hunger.’ There’s yet another important word associated with food, according to Artport — caste. There exists a deep link between food and caste. And artist Rajyashri Goody’s art installation at HLF unravelled those links, albeit brutally.
Along with her installations, lying scattered on the table are two ‘recipe booklets’ evocatively titled ‘Is Hunger Gnawing At Your Belly’ and ‘What Is The Price Of Your Sweat’. Rajyashri has picked up excerpts and poems from the autobiographies of two renowned Dalit writers — Omprakash Valmiki and Laxman Gaikwad — and given them a second person perspective for her recipe booklets. It portrays the brutal realities that Dalits and other disadvantaged groups had to suffer, in several cases still do, to escape hunger. Coming at a time when political and social groups are attempting to influence dietary habits of people, Rajyashri’s work assumes importance. “I have read several recipe books, learnt about various cuisines but rarely do I come across a book which talks about Dalit food habits. Habits that have been cultivated not out of luxury, but out of compulsion,” she said.
Caste angle
These lines from Rajyashri’s booklet: “Why do you have to tell the truth? Lying might get you wonderful food, and respect” hauntingly portray the social conditions that are prevalent. “When in a position of power, the food one eats becomes important. For Dalits, food habits in several cases were not a luxury but compulsion. This also brings in a sense of shame, which shouldn’t be there,” she said.
An informal talk with renowned Dalit writer Gogu Shyamala shed more light on the issue. “Dalits are humans too. And their food habits are as similar as anyone else. However, today a lot of divisive politics is being played. Governments intervening in food habits is not only anti-Dalit but also anti-people,” Shyamala said.
Elaborating further on the issue, she added that in India, the division is now longer binary — upper and lower caste — but has become graded. For instance, banning of beef is a peripheral issue. What lies at the centre of it is the urge of having control over the masses,” Shyamala added.“The problem however is the indifference of the common people. They say it doesn’t affect us. But some day, it might,” the writer said.