Abstract
Food and caste were inextricably connected in South Asia. Upper-caste hierarchies of ritual purity and pollution were enforced through taboos on the consumption of food. Premchand (1880-1936) is generally regarded as the greatest writer in Hindi and Urdu both in terms of his popularity and the range and depth of his corpus. He did not subscribe to the notion that art was a mere representation of reality. To him realism in art was adarshonmukhi-yatharthavad (idealistic-realism) which had an important social function: to contribute to the transformation of society by creating an awareness about the existing conditions and by projecting a vision of the future. Premchand’s creative efforts were strongly imbued with this social commitment which found its expression in the manner in which he treated the theme of the food and caste among Hindu communities. His concern for the underdogs of the society also extended to the plight of dalits. This study shows how Brahamanical notions of cleanliness and filth undergirded caste hierarchies. It also explores Premchand’s representation of dalits’ critique of upper-caste power and hypocrisy. The paper is based on reading of Premchand’s fictional narratives by applying various literary theories, specifically deconstruction.
Presenters
Jagdish Lal DawarRetired Professor, History and Ethnography, Mizoram University, Haryana, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
FOOD AND CASTE, FOOD AND POLITICS, FOOD AND TABOOS
