‘Rationalists’ in Odisha have been in news recently for publically disobeying traditional religious norms around the solar and lunar eclipses and ‘protesting’ against such restrictions by eating chicken biriyani.
On 25 October, which was a partial solar eclipse across India, the ‘rationalists’ protested by organising Biriyani fests in several areas of Bhubaneswar. They had gathered with family members and had given media statements that traditional restrictions on cooking and consumption of food on a day of the eclipse are nothing but superstitions and hence they are making a statement by eating chicken biriyani on the eclipse.
There have been intense TV debates between the self-proclaimed rationalists and traditionalists over the issue, with one side claiming to be against superstition and the other side calling them disrespectful. The controversy raged so much that FIRs were filed against ‘rationalist’ leaders Debendra Sutar and Pratap Rath and even murder threats were issued.
On November 8, which is the festival of Karthika Purnima and also a day of the lunar eclipse, the debate between rationalists and traditionalists is no longer just a debate. Full-blown clashes and scuffles have broken out in Bhubaneswar and Berhampur.
[WATCH] Scuffle breaks out during food feast of rationalists in Berhampur on lunar eclipse day; police resort to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd #Odisha #LunarEclipse pic.twitter.com/WU6rJfTh5B
— OTV (@otvnews) November 8, 2022
A community feast was organised at Lohia Academy in Bhubaneswar where rationalists had gathered to eat biriyani to make their statement against traditional food restrictions on lunar eclipse. Bajrang Dal activists reportedly clashed there with the rationalists and raised slogans. The police had to resort to lathi charge to bring the situation under control.
Clash reported between rationalists & ritualists in Berhampur and Bhubaneswar over consumption of food on eclipse day; Bajrang Dal activists and ritualists scuffle with rationalists during a meeting in Berhampur; similar tension witnessed at Lohia Academy in Bhubaneswar #Odisha pic.twitter.com/Guxda0hCEC
— OTV (@otvnews) November 8, 2022
Speaking to the media, the traditionalist Hindu leaders have stated that they don’t have anything to say against people’s food choices practised inside their homes, but the rationalists openly slandering traditional beliefs and making a purposeful display of eating chicken biriyani by organising community feasts is a deliberate attempt to insult Hindu beliefs.
A Hindu leader even called the community feast a ‘missionary conspiracy’ and stated that the rationalists have been bribed by Christian missionaries to defame Hindu beliefs.
#ହିନ୍ଦୁ_ଧର୍ମର_ବିରୋଧରେ_ଏ_ଗୋଟିଏ_ବଡ଼_ଷଡ଼ଯନ୍ତ୍ର
— Kanak News (@kanak_news) November 8, 2022
ଖାଇବାର ଅଛି ଯଦି ଘରେ ଖାଉନ , ରାସ୍ତାରେ ଖାଇ ପ୍ରଚାର କରୁଛ । ଏ କେବଳ ହିନ୍ଦୁ ଧର୍ମର ବିରୋଧରେ ଗୋଟିଏ ବଡ଼ ଷଡ଼ଯନ୍ତ୍ର । ଚିକେନ୍ ବିରିୟାନୀ ଖାଇ ଆମ ଧାର୍ମିକ ଭାବନାକୁ ଏମାନେ କୁଠାରଘାତ କରୁଛନ୍ତି : ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣସମାଜ #KanakNews #Berhampur #Odisha pic.twitter.com/DecIbf0Ff3
The rationalists have stated that they have been organising Biriyani feasts on eclipse days to send a message to society that the traditional beliefs and restrictions on food and cooking are not based on scientific facts but are baseless superstitions. Apprehending unrest in the big cities, the police had provided security at the Lohia Academy and other venues where the rationalists had planned to gather.
It is notable here that Odisha, where the Hindu population share is over 90%, is one of the states where non-veg consumption is quite high. Though people refrain from eating non-veg on festival days, fish, chicken and mutton dishes are quite popular. The day after Kartika Purnima is celebrated as ‘Chhadakhai’ where people relish meat dishes after one month of abstinence from non-veg food during the month of Kartika.
