Food has long been used as a tool of division and oppression in societies around the world. Within food, the ‘politics of meat’ has sparked significant tension and conflict, with violence in connection to the transportation and consumption of beef and a growing move to criminalise those involved in the meat industry. This was one of the issues that was the focus of the Jana Sahitya Sammelana held in Bengaluru on Sunday, January 8. Jana Sahitya Sammelana was an alternative literary festival organised by writers and intellectuals who were unhappy with the exclusion of Muslim writers from the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, which was held on January 6, 7, and 8.
Writer and poet Ranganath Kantanakunte pointed out the ‘us and them’ narrative against Muslims is being pushed in the minds of students and parents in the country, leading to a society fragmented based on religion. He argued that the ‘politics of meat’ is at the root of this divide, resulting in attacks against those transporting beef and in attempts to criminalise those involved in the meat industry through the enforcement of the cow slaughter ban law, which prohibits the slaughter of cows and the possession and sale of beef in Karnataka. Possession and sale of beef are punishable by imprisonment and/or fines. The cow slaughter ban has stirred controversy in the state and across the country, as it is seen as a form of discrimination against Muslims and other minority groups who rely on the beef industry for their livelihood.
Kantanakunte emphasised that Shudra communities are the target of the new law and that the criminalisation of their professions is anti-people. Shudras are designated the lowest rung in the Hindu caste hierarchy. He pointed out that meat is a central part of the practices of Shudra communities and that the emphasis on vegetarianism, which is being promoted as a superior way of life, has the underlying aim of dividing people based on their food choices. “Cultural violence in the name of food will always hurt humanity,” Kantanakunte said.
Writer Pallavi Idur added to the discussion by stating that “man is a carnivore” and that the division between those who eat mutton and those who eat beef is a result of cultivating a superior-inferior mentality based on food choices. She argued that food should be used to improve brotherhood and friendship rather than create division.
The Kannada Sahitya Sammelana is a literary event organised annually by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat, a non-profit organisation that is funded by the Karnataka government and receives taxpayer support for its activities. This year, not many Muslim names were included on any of the panels at the event, which caused widespread outrage, given the organisation’s government funding and perceived role as a representative of the Kannada language.