Volume VI Special Issue VI September 2026

Name of Author : Sayana Saju

Title of the paper : Hunger as Hegemony: The Cultural Politics of Food in Akkarmashi

Abstract: In mainstream literary discourse, food is often romanticized as a symbol of cultural heritage, tradition, and identity. However, narratives produced by marginalized communities expose a contrasting reality in which food functions as an instrument of power, exclusion, and oppression. This paper examines the politics of food in Sharankumar Limbales Akkarmashi, arguing that hunger is not merely a consequence of poverty but a systematic mechanism employed to sustain the oppression of the lower castes. Through a close reading of significant episodes, including the distribution of leftovers and the consumption of grains collected from animal dung, the study demonstrates how food reinforces social boundaries based on notions of purity and pollution. It further explores how food operates as a symbolic and material barrier between the privileged and the marginalized, serving as a weapon of humiliation and social control. Rather than merely satisfying hunger, food emerges as a powerful instrument that perpetuates caste hierarchies and institutionalized discrimination. By analyzing these key episodes, the paper investigates the cultural politics embedded in food practices and reveals how the constant struggle for survival deprives the oppressed of the physical and psychological capacity to question the existing social order. The paper is divided into two sections. The first examines the concept of hegemony and its representation in Akkarmashi, while the second analyses how food functions as a weapon of caste based differentiation and domination.

Keywords : Hegemony, Food politics, Hunger, Caste discrimination, Akkarmashi

DOI :

Page Number : 269-272