The Birthplace Of La Tomatina Festival
Bunol, Spain, is where the La Tomatina festival originated and is annually held. A small town with an area of 112 sq km and a population of 9000, who earn their living via local industries and agriculture. The reason this festival is hyped across Spain is because its a tourist magnet, attracting more than 30,000 annually to Bunol and fetching much needed revenue for this sleepy town.
Is It Relevant To Bangalore?
Copy Kat City
Many things in this world are important not only because of statistics (eg 100 tonnes of grain rotted in a warehouse or a million Indians sleep hungry) and inspite of clever rebuttals (eg we are using only rotten tomatoes), but because they are symbolic of something.
Food in one such thing and what its symbolic of is:
- blood (every cut which a daily wage earner endures to earn his bread, or people getting killed during food riots in times of food shortages eg famine)
- sweat (of every person who works hard to earn his living)
- tears (when you are oh so hungry and angry because your lunch is late, or tears of the hungry destitute child)
- hunger, anger and frustration (of the starving, or even that of a teen refusing his meal because he is denied a late night out)
- power (when Food is a weapon, or when its hoarded, or black marketed)
- a mother, the nourisher
- God (Annapoorna the Hindu goddess of nourishment, or the Roman catholic faith in which the wine and bread taken during communion is considered as the real blood, body, divinity and soul of Christ)
So you see, symbolism is always often pure sentiments and raw emotions. Symbolism is why we consider it a sin to tread on currency (money) or spit in front of an image of a revered being.
Bunol, Spain, is where the La Tomatina festival originated and is annually held. A small town with an area of 112 sq km and a population of 9000, who earn their living via local industries and agriculture. The reason this festival is hyped across Spain is because its a tourist magnet, attracting more than 30,000 annually to Bunol and fetching much needed revenue for this sleepy town.
Is It Relevant To Bangalore?
Bangalore. Population close to a crore and area, 700+ sq km. A city which as of 2009, is officially an alpha or world city (a specialized city considered to be an important node point in the global economic system). In the very large scheme of things, Bangalore has no burning need to attract revenue bringing tourists via tomato throwing fests. Yet, Bangaloreans are having La Tomatina festival next month. And, its just for fun. And, there will be a tomato filled pool. You see, there is an overwhelming need in cosmopolitan cities to be "fun", "hip" and to "fit in" and one can be fun-hip-and-fitting-in only when one marinates in a pool filled with stinging tomato mush.
Copy Kat City
Katrina Kaif, Hrithik Roshan and Farhan Akhtar et al, looked fun-hip playing with tomato puree in the film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) and Bangaloreans just have to emulate it. We arent a `world' city for nothing. The trio however were paid to endure the smarting tomato juice, but Bengalurians will pay upto Rs 4999/- to endure the blistering, stinging, acidic, tomato juice. Why? Oh, I know. Its hip.
The Naysayers
A bunch of Bangaloreans are criticizing the event, quoting reasons like "India is a country where millions go hungry, so wasting food is inappropriate". I agree with them, but their reason is not the only reason why I think this local festival is in bad taste.
The Ayes
The festival organizers defense goes like this, "Are these (anti-tomatina) people not using their cars because petrol is expensive? Are they living in huts because millions in Indians are poor?". They also said, " We are using inedible (?) tomatoes and this will benefit farmers as we are buying tons of tomatoes from them". Smart answers y`all. This rebuttal is accompanied by quite a few pro-Tomatinas who think that the anti`s are over reacting. Some pros are also coming up with reasons like, "Its our money to spend as we like", "Food is rotting in granaries across the country", "People are jealous of us having a good time", "Its not hurting anyone" and most common reason being "The organizers said they are using rotten tomatoes not edible ones".
You know, food rotting in granaries across the country is not widely publicized as 'fun'. So even though its rotting, the shame of the wastage is not being trivialized. As far as "our money, we shall spend" goes, when Western designers embossed images of Hindu deities on inner wear and sold it for money, sure it is the designers money and sure it is the buyers money to buy what he likes, but people raged across India...why? Because their religious sentiment was hurt. Food is a sentiment too. How? Read on...
Oh about "jealous" and "not hurting anyone". Please come up with a better defense. Finally, the favorite excuse about 'rotten' tomatoes being used in the festival. I find it very tough to believe that any person or couple who has paid up to Rs 4999 for an entry into this festival, will really, truly and happily, hold a rotting and therefore-smelly, putrid, discolored, tomato, and throw it on one another. As people who have paid and thus as customers, common sense dictates that they demand their moneys worth of fresh, well rounded, cheery red tomatoes. And, this is what they will do. If they dont and are happy throwing the rotten and thus, decomposing and partially fermented tomatoes on each other, then God bless them. But, this is still not the reason why I think this festival is not in good order.
The festival organizers defense goes like this, "Are these (anti-tomatina) people not using their cars because petrol is expensive? Are they living in huts because millions in Indians are poor?". They also said, " We are using inedible (?) tomatoes and this will benefit farmers as we are buying tons of tomatoes from them". Smart answers y`all. This rebuttal is accompanied by quite a few pro-Tomatinas who think that the anti`s are over reacting. Some pros are also coming up with reasons like, "Its our money to spend as we like", "Food is rotting in granaries across the country", "People are jealous of us having a good time", "Its not hurting anyone" and most common reason being "The organizers said they are using rotten tomatoes not edible ones".
You know, food rotting in granaries across the country is not widely publicized as 'fun'. So even though its rotting, the shame of the wastage is not being trivialized. As far as "our money, we shall spend" goes, when Western designers embossed images of Hindu deities on inner wear and sold it for money, sure it is the designers money and sure it is the buyers money to buy what he likes, but people raged across India...why? Because their religious sentiment was hurt. Food is a sentiment too. How? Read on...
Oh about "jealous" and "not hurting anyone". Please come up with a better defense. Finally, the favorite excuse about 'rotten' tomatoes being used in the festival. I find it very tough to believe that any person or couple who has paid up to Rs 4999 for an entry into this festival, will really, truly and happily, hold a rotting and therefore-smelly, putrid, discolored, tomato, and throw it on one another. As people who have paid and thus as customers, common sense dictates that they demand their moneys worth of fresh, well rounded, cheery red tomatoes. And, this is what they will do. If they dont and are happy throwing the rotten and thus, decomposing and partially fermented tomatoes on each other, then God bless them. But, this is still not the reason why I think this festival is not in good order.
Why I think this local tomato fest is inappropriate
Many things in this world are important not only because of statistics (eg 100 tonnes of grain rotted in a warehouse or a million Indians sleep hungry) and inspite of clever rebuttals (eg we are using only rotten tomatoes), but because they are symbolic of something.
Food in one such thing and what its symbolic of is:
- blood (every cut which a daily wage earner endures to earn his bread, or people getting killed during food riots in times of food shortages eg famine)
- sweat (of every person who works hard to earn his living)
- tears (when you are oh so hungry and angry because your lunch is late, or tears of the hungry destitute child)
- hunger, anger and frustration (of the starving, or even that of a teen refusing his meal because he is denied a late night out)
- power (when Food is a weapon, or when its hoarded, or black marketed)
- a mother, the nourisher
- God (Annapoorna the Hindu goddess of nourishment, or the Roman catholic faith in which the wine and bread taken during communion is considered as the real blood, body, divinity and soul of Christ)
So you see, symbolism is always often pure sentiments and raw emotions. Symbolism is why we consider it a sin to tread on currency (money) or spit in front of an image of a revered being.
Many quoted statistics in Anna Hazares case and pooh-poohed "Oh, just few lakh people on the roads supporting Anna, is not India". These pooh-pooh-ers didnt understand that "just few lakh people" were very powerful. Why? Because they were bonded by a common sentiment and driven by a primitive instinct (which in this case was the innate instinct which says-no, this something XYZ has to stop). Food is also a common sentiment and a primitive instinct and thus, very powerful.
Within India, wherever I went as an army-kid, I have seen food being respected, religion not withstanding. People pray to and for good crops, they pray prior to their meals, they ask for divine forgiveness if food is spilt or wasted. People extend food to their God, because its considered one of the ultimate offerings. People fast or abstain from food, in honor of their God (eg Ramzan, Navratri) or their cause (eg Bhagat Singh, Anna Hazare), or if they think its going to do them or their loved ones good. People donate food or feed the hungry because its considered one of the kindest of acts. These are just some examples of the power and significance of food. And, to think of it being thrown around, stepped on and squelched, just for 'fun'? Isnt it a shame?
But the most important point is this, phrases like "Earning ones bread and butter", "Roti, kapda, makaan", "Paapi pet ka sawaal hai" and more, show beyond doubt that majority have to work to earn their roti or bread. They have to sweat it out. Even the worlds wealthiest, in spite of the assurance that they may never starve, need to eat, to live.
I am sure even this event was organized, with an aim of being profitable and it is thus very much a part of the organizers- job/employment/attempt to earn sustenance. Yet, this same event is insulting the instinct and emotion, which makes every soul in this world trudge to work daily, endure a sadistic boss, work overtime, suffer bad traffic...which is to earn ones sustenance or "roz ki roti".
To conclude, a request, "Will someone, anyone, hand me a rotten tomato?".
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La Tomatina Bangalore, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Bunol-Spain, La Tomatina Bangalore Insane, Katrina Kaif Tomato Festival
