Thursday, May 5, 2011

[ZESTCaste] Beef controversy a result of socio-political change in Eflu

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Beef-controversy-a-result-of-socio-political-change-in-Eflu/articleshow/8163668.cms

Beef controversy a result of socio-political change in Eflu
Nikhila Henry, TNN | May 5, 2011, 05.03am IST
HYDERABAD: Is the beef war raging in English and Foreign Languages
University (Eflu) campus rooted in the changing caste composition of
the varsity? While the controversy at the face of it seems to be about
inclusion of beef in the mess menu, sociologists and political
analysts say that the real problem is a growing resentment among
certain caste groups against the increase in the number of dalit and
BC students on the campus.

According to faculty members of university, with the implementation of
OBC reservation (22.5 per cent) and an increase in the number of dalit
students taking admission even in the general category seats (about 6
per cent), other caste groups on campus seem to be nursing a grudge
against the changing caste composition of the university. "The beef
controversy only brought the fight out in the open," they say.

"Eflu till four years ago was just an institute (Centre for English
and Foreign Languages) which did not have an integrated variety of
students. And an elite, caste group used to be the face of this
institute. But the change of the caste composition that happened soon
after its conversion into a central university (2008) created a strong
resentment among certain faculty and student members. This resentment,
however, is not usually spoken about," explained a faculty member of
the university. However, with the beef controversy the divide is
visible, he added. Currently, out of the 2,500 seats in the university
over 56 per cent are from dalit and BC students.

While some cited the emergence of a strong dalit group on campus for
the reason for the beef controversy, political scientists said that
the fight is not just about a resentment against reservation. In fact,
a larger cultural battle is brewing in the background, analysts
pointed out. "The university is going through a transitory period
where certain traditional cultural forms including that of food
culture are getting challenged and uprooted. Eating beef in public
becomes a part of the assertion of dalit identity which is considered
unholy by other castes," said Prof G Haragopal, political scientist
and faculty University of Hyderabad.

Political scientists said that a discourse on food in the country,
especially when centred around beef has larger implications. "Certain
food items in the state are associated with certain caste groups. Beef
is identified with SC/ST and some section of OBC castes," explained
Prof Kancha Iliah, political scientist, Osmania University.

Sociologists said that Eflu's beef feud could actually be a milestone
in the dalit movement, where a food culture, less celebrated in
society is trying to breach its way through established social norms
in educational institutions.

However, this is not the first time that such a challenge is being
taken up by students. In 2005, in a similar incident, Dalit Students
Association (DSU) of University of Hyderabad had established a beef
stall on their campus during a cultural fest, Sukoon, a practice that
has been repeated till date.

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