FOOD AS IDENTITY

THE 2019 FILM 'AXONE' HIGHLIGHTS THE STRUGGLE OF PRESERVING CULTURAL IDENTITY IN A DIVERSE SOCIETY, URGING VIEWERS TO SEE FOOD AS A BRIDGE TO UNDERSTANDING, NOT A BARRIER

- KARTIKEYA SHANKAR

IN JULY 2007, THE DELHI Police, under the pretext of maintaining public order, released a booklet that immediately raised eyebrows and stoked outrage. Presented as a guide to social harmony, the document singled out people from India's Northeast, advising women from the region to avoid wearing "revealing dresses" and offering instructions on preparing their traditional dishes in a way that wouldn't create a "ruckus" in the neighbourhood.

The publication ignited a fierce backlash, with accusations of "social profiling" reverberating across the city. Among the voices of dissent was Kiren Rijiju, then a Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, who would later become the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs.

Outraged by the cultural imposition implied in the booklet, Rijiju announced plans to escalate the matter to the Union Home Ministry. "If they are dictating food habits and a dress code, then it is a cultural imposition," Rijiju told news agency PTI. "If it is true, I will meet Home Minister Shivraj Patil and lodge a strong protest."

Director Nicholas Kharkongor recalls this incident during his time in Delhi's Humayunpur, a neighbourhood with a vibrant northeastern community. He shared, "We were distraught, outraged even. It felt like a direct affront to our dignity." This sentiment was intensified by the 2014 murder of Nido Tania, a young man from Arunachal Pradesh, who was killed for resisting taunts in Lajpat Nagar. These events significantly impacted Kharkongor, influencing his worldview and storytelling approach.

His 2019 film Axone directly reflects these experiences, as it brought to light the cultural prejudices surrounding tribal cuisines in urban spaces. Through its narrative, Axone celebrates the rich traditions of these states and highlights the challenges of preserving identity and belonging in an urban space often marked by misunderstanding and bias.