Since Tharoor’s derisive remarks on meat eating has started yet another controversy, it’s a good time to ponder on the usage of the term “non-vegetarian,” which in itself is reflective of caste hegemony and has resulted in the otherisarion of meat eaters in India.

In their study on Indian food habits, Balmurli Natarajan and Suraj Jacob acknowledge the role played by the usage of this word in the perpetuation of a food hierarchy where vegetarianism is the norm. This snippet from their interview with @soutikBBC puts it in better perspective.

This thread is what first drew my attention to this issue a few years ago. While it explains everything wrong with the word quite lucidly, I don’t agree with the “vegetarianism is a poor choice” part, which is just another variation of food fascism. https://twitter.com/cardroidusmax/status/776376071608467456