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Who Says the Pigs Are Dirty? Valmikis, Mumbai and The Challenge to Human/Non-Human Hierarchy

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Seminar / Talk

The construction of the pig as '_ganda_' (filthy) and '_naapak_' (ritually impure) animal, among Hindus and Muslims, respectively, creates a violent socio-spatial environment for marginalised communities associated with the porcine world. The physical proximity or sight of pig/pig meat produces immediate visceral disgust and mobilises violent caste and religious sensibilities. To this end, this talk addresses a central question-- How do marginal pork-eating communities engage with the question of disgust and navigate the cultural and political pressure of dominant communities? Drawing on ethnography conducted in a Valmiki (Dalit) neighbourhood in the eastern suburb of Mumbai, I will make two arguments. First, through everyday discursive politics, the Valmikis construct the pig as '_apna_' (our) animal devoid of innate polluting capacity, as the dominant cultural framework puts it. Second, the pork shop owners, through lobbying the local political and community leaders, navigate the aggressive politics of Hindu and Muslim Right, thereby contributing to the denaturalising of the non-human animal hierarchy. To conclude, I discuss how, through these everyday politics, Valmikis raise the larger question of cultural citizenship critical for imagining non-hierarchical geographies for humans and non-human animals.
 

Event Speaker
Raju Chalwadi
Event Title
Who Says the Pigs Are Dirty? Valmikis, Mumbai and The Challenge to Human/Non-Human Hierarchy
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