Opinion Dahi chooda, the unassuming dish at the political centre
It is believed in Bengal that dahi chooda settles upset stomachs. But in neighbouring Bihar, it can presage political upsets.
Over the years, the feast became an occasion for political signalling. A handful of flattened rice, soaked in water for a few minutes (not more, else it loses its texture), a bowl of curd (mix water if it’s thick), and a spoonful of pickle. This is the standard recipe for dahi chooda, sometimes taken as comfort food, and on occasion, to mark a ceremony. But in Bihar, it signals something far more complex than its simple recipe. It marks political ruptures and new intimacies, and silent transitions. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad’s visit to his estranged son Tej Pratap Yadav’s dahi chooda event in the presence of Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha can be read in this context.
In mid-1990s Bihar, the unassuming bowl of dahi chooda became the centre of political attention when, as CM, Lalu Prasad started organising dahi-chooda feasts at his official residence on Makar Sankranti. While the first day of the feast was usually reserved for political leaders, on the second day, the gates were opened wider. Lalu Prasad would serve dahi chooda himself to his guests. Over the years, the feast became an occasion for political signalling.
In 2015, ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a dahi chooda event organised by Ram Vilas Paswan (the BJP and the LJP fought the elections together). That same year, a disgruntled Nitish Kumar, who had left the NDA in 2014, attended Lalu Prasad’s gathering. Within months, the Mahagathbandhan alliance was stitched. Four years later, Nitish Kumar was found attending dahi chooda feasts with Paswan and Sushil Kumar Modi, in a display of NDA unity. It is believed in Bengal that dahi chooda settles upset stomachs. But in neighbouring Bihar, it can presage political upsets.
Share
