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VOL. 7, ISSUE 2 (2025)
Caste, food and identity: Understanding the Socio-Economic and religious dimensions of Dalit Dietary Practices in Eastern Uttar Pradesh
Authors
Dheeraj Pratap Mitra, Dr. Rakesh Kumar
Abstract
Food practices among Dalit communities have historically reflected
deep-rooted structures of caste hierarchy, economic marginalization and
religious discrimination in India particularly in Eastern Uttar Pradesh where
the interlinkage of caste and cuisine remains socially embedded. Understanding
what Dalits eat, why they eat it and how certain food choices become markers of
purity, stigma or assertion provides a critical sociological entry point into
caste-based exclusion and cultural resistance. This study examines the
socio-economic and religious dimensions of Dalit dietary practices in Eastern
Uttar Pradesh focusing on how food habits reflect structural deprivation as
well as emerging identity politics. Based on an exploratory descriptive design,
the study draws upon primary data gathered from participant observation
representing 100 Dalit respondents belonging to Chamar, Pasi, Dhobi, Khatik and
Musahar communities across districts such as Varanasi, Chandauli, Ballia,
Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Azamgarh. Results indicate that staple food intake
remains poverty-driven and cereal-based with limited access to nutritious
protein sources while the consumption of pork, fish, beef etc. continues to
function as both necessity and socio-political assertion. Ritual abstinence
from meat during Hindu festivals coexists with community feasts involving meat
and alcohol revealing hybrid food identities. Younger respondents demonstrate
clear dietary shifts influenced by urban exposure and modern consumption. The
study highlights that food is not merely a biological need but a symbolic field
where caste power operates and resistance is articulated. Ensuring food
sovereignty and nutritional justice for Dalit communities must therefore become
a central concern of inclusive social policy.
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Pages:189-195
How to cite this article:
Dheeraj Pratap Mitra, Dr. Rakesh Kumar "Caste, food and identity: Understanding the Socio-Economic and religious dimensions of Dalit Dietary Practices in Eastern Uttar Pradesh". International Journal of Social Research and Development, Vol 7, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 189-195
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