Kerala is one of the rich cultural, religious and religious states in India. People of Kerala are very fond of festivals and we organise them. Recently we had some incidents of these posters being installed at a temple festival in Kerala. There are some local temples. The poster read: “We will eat beef and pork!!!!!!!!!!! !” and was staged against the movie Kerala Story 2. This raised some questions among the public about whether any expression as such is fine in any religious space and when should people display the same poster in a mosque.
Culture and religion are deeply related to the eating in Kerala food and drink so that food is not just food but also symbolic in these areas in India. Pork does not feel offensive to Hindus but beef meat is very special, because cows are sacred to Hindus. For Muslims pork is not eaten at all anymore while beef is consumed widely. So this is the poster’s direct challenge for both cultures.
Where should this poster be in a mosque? The issue is an example of how freedom of expression in practice is inconsistent with the idea behind it in this context. You would think that such a poster of the same religious character in temple festivals would go down well as protest, as well as for some kind of satire but in a mosque it could definitely be seen as disrespectful and evoke strong responses. Courage, then, is about taking bold charges in spite of the fact not to be an activist of any kind about the context of different faiths.
The Constitution of India guarantees freedom of speech. Rights can come into being and we are not afraid of our opinions, even if we are critical of our religion or of our country, that we do feel anything is freedom of speech. It is balanced to respect people’s beliefs. If posters like these are erected there are legal grounds for them but they can breed social division and tension.
Kerala Story 2's debate has already reflected political and cultural disagreements. And adding provocative posters about food habits compounds the tension. At the same time of the moment, it would alienate and destroy the community by creating friction between groups.
The poster at the temple festival in Kerala is more than just a message of food and, in the end, it's to prove we should come together (with courage, respect and tolerance). The main issue whether such slogans cannot be repeated anywhere, not least in spaces where some people might be offended is freedom of expression in a space where it might not be okay. If we are brave we seek a society that agrees and does not disagree. This discussion is more than a commentary on food. In Kerala: Kerala that is ever-present and is always coexisting in many things and is where we are now, and there are other nations where culture and communities in and of themselves with no differences are good ways to go about understanding it.
