NSA panel explores Naga food

Naga Scholars Association (NSA) organised an online panel discussion on September 27 titled “The Circulation of Naga Food and National Anxiety,” featuring noted scholars and researchers who explored the intersections of food, identity, and discrimination.
The panel included Prof. Krishendu Ray, director of the Food Studies PhD Program at New York University, as the discussant, with presentations by Akishe L. Jakha, researcher at Sarai, CSDS, and Pamziuliu Gonmei, doctoral candidate in Cinema Studies, JNU.
According to a press release by NSA, Jakha presented his paper “Can’t Eat in Peace,” highlighting incidents of discrimination faced by Nagas over their food practices, including an attack in Ahmedabad and scrutiny faced by tenants in Delhi. He argued that food, deeply tied to identity and memory, becomes a site of stigma and surveillance in urban spaces. Jakha also critiqued regulatory laws and political narratives that reinforce stereotypes and marginalise Naga food culture.
Gonmei, in her presentation, stressed the importance of nuance in representing Naga cuisine, warning against the erasure of tribal diversity. Drawing from her Rongmei community, she discussed gendered dimensions, taboos, and superstitions linked to food, and cautioned against privileging dominant narratives in mainstream portrayals.
Prof. Ray responded by linking the discussion to broader themes of caste, race, and violence in South Asia’s food politics. He praised the framing of “can’t eat in peace” and emphasized the role of food in subject-making, cultural expression, and heritage.
The session concluded with a Q&A, where participants examined the stigma surrounding Naga food, its racialised perceptions, and the need for inclusive representation. Issues of eroticization, patriarchy, and gendering of food were also discussed.
The panel was chaired by Dr. Shelmi Sankhil of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University and coordinated by NSA joint secretary Dr. Haineube Newme. The welcome address was delivered by NSA general secretary Dr. Apila Sangtam. Rapporteurs for the session were Ropfuvino Krose and Newlandson S. Angam. Around 80 participants attended the discussion.