Rahul Gandhi recounts his 'discovery of Dalit cuisine' during Kolhapur trip

Mumbai/Kolhapur: Two days after he veritably donned the toque of a ‘chef’, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi narrated his first-hand experience of discovering a Dalit kitchen and dishes, on Monday.

Taking to social media with videos of his surprise foray into the home of a Dalit farmer-cum-tempo driver, Ajay Tukaram Sanade, at Unchaon village in Kolhapur on Oct. 5, the Congress leader observed how even today very few people know about a Dalit kitchen.

“As (Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj) Shahuji and (Nana) Patoleji said, ‘no one knows what Dalits eat’. Curious about what they eat, how they cook, and what its social and political significance is, I spent an afternoon with Ajay T. Sanade and Anjana T. Sanade,” said Rahul Gandhi of his unique exposure that day.

He warmly acknowledged how the Sanade couple welcomed him to their humble dwelling ‘with great respect’ and accorded him a chance to help out in their kitchen -- where he animatedly posed several questions about their diet, food habits, cooking style, etc.

“Together, we made ‘harbharyanchi bhaji’, a vegetable of chickpea greens and ‘tuvar dal’ with brinjals,” said Rahul Gandhi, who had also made a dish from ‘spring onions’ for the Sanade family luncheon that day, as said by Anjana T. Sanade later.

Sitting down to the veggie lunch with typical Maharashtrian-style jowar bhakris, he remembered discussing the Sanade family’s personal encounters with caste and discrimination, the lack of awareness of Dalit cuisine and the importance of documentation of this culture.

“The constitution gives participation and rights to the Bahujans, and we will protect that constitution. But true inclusion and equality of all in the society will be possible only when every Indian makes efforts with the feeling of brotherhood in his heart,” declared Rahul Gandhi.

On Saturday, the LoP made headlines of the culinary kind when he walked unannounced into the Sanade family’s home, during his short visit to the erstwhile royal kingdom of Kolhapur when he inaugurated a standing statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and attended an Honour Constitution Conference.

“We were totally unprepared for his sudden arrival… First, we offered him water and tea, and later he said he was feeling hungry and volunteered to prepare something for all of us in our kitchen,” a dazed Sanade had told IANS, after seeing off his VVIP guest.

Zapped in the presence of the Congress leader, ‘Rahul Bhau’, Sanade, his wife Anjana and their sons Abhishek and Aditya stood around in a state of ‘red alert’ in his presence at their small abode and the tiny kitchen.

Ironically, outside the home, patiently -- and probably, hungrily -- were waiting none other than the royal descendant and Kolhapur MP, Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj, state Congress President Patole, top leaders like Balasaheb Thorat, Satej D. Bunty Patil, the village Sarpanch and two-time wrestling National Champion Madhukar Chavan.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)