Progressive organisations serve baadoota on final day of sahitya sammelana in Mandya

On Sunday afternoon, the last day of the 87th Akhila Bharata Kannada Sahitya Sammelana, activists of progressive organisations served baadoota (non-vegetarian food) for lunch as a mark of protest against the “imposition of Brahminical food culture.” The issue of “restricting” non-vegetarian food at the sammelana had earlier turned controversial.

Initially, when they started distributing non-vegetarian food at the main entrance of the sammelana, the police did not allow it. Later, the organisers began serving chicken curry, ragi mudde, eggs and chicken kebabs at the dining space. At this point, the police near the food counter tried to seize the food, but were unsuccessful. Eventually, hundreds of people who had arrived at the sammelana enjoyed the fare.

‘Restricted’ item

Prior to the sammelana, several progressive organisations had expressed outrage over the organisers listing non-vegetarian food among the “restricted” items along with tobacco and liquor at the venue. They had started a campaign opposing it and said that they would serve non-vegetarian food at the event as a mark of protest against diet imposition.

It is learnt that the district administration held a meeting with the activists and orally agreed to distribute eggs at the food counters of the sammelana. But, the eggs were not distributed. Enraged by this, the activists decided to serve non-veg food on Sunday as their own initiative.