WE ARE WHAT WE EAT”: READING FOOD AS A METAPHOR OF CULTURAL IDENTITY IN SELECT DALIT NARRATIVES

Abstract

The identification of multiple layers of subjugation, primarily on the basis of caste, class and gender, has formed the basis of reading Dalit narratives. The complex structure of these powerful forces of domination has evolved over a long period of time in the Indian subcontinent. The intensity and manner of caste-based practices vary from region to region. This diversity has resulted mainly due to differences in geographical as well as ecological variant of spaces. Dalit autobiographies and creative writings have focused on such representation of social stratification which are unique to their situation and identity. An interesting element in these texts is the focus on food as well as elaborate culinary details. Food assumes an important aspect of the identity of the characters and their negotiation with life. Detailed descriptions of food cooked and consumed in day-to-day life is seen to be a part and parcel of these narratives. Also significantly, the association of food with various ritualistic practices bring about the cultural connotation of dietary restrictions in conjunction with a community’s identity. Many contemporary regional writers from across the country have dealt with the shackles of caste discrimination and its powerful impact on social stratification. Well-known authors of Dalit literature – Baby Kamble (b. 1929), Urmila Pawar (b.1945), and Perumal Murugan (b. 1966) – among others, have focused on the multi-layered shades of caste, class, and gender in their books. Their narratives, while portraying the dominant structure of caste and class, take the readers through the metaphor of food and culinary activities which form the basis of the identity of their characters. This paper is an attempt to study select novels by Kamble, Pawar, and Murugan to explore the metaphor of food vis-à-vis the dominant structure of caste, class and gender hierarchies. The paper will be based on the theoretical foundation of Dalit Feminism to explore the silent voices of the oppressed.