Paradox of Pork

 [Wikipedia: Angamaly is a municipality and the northernmost suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Situated about 30 km (19 mi) north of the city centre, the area is the northern gateway to the commercial capital of Kerala and is an integral part of the Kochi metropolitan area. The town lies at the intersection of Main Central Road (MC Road) and National Highway 544. MC Road, which starts from Thiruvananthapuram ends at Angamaly at its intersection with NH 544.]

 

Paradox of Pork

Though the word ‘Pork’ stands for the meat of the pig, colloquially and often knowingly or unknowingly people in Kerala interchange the use of the word pork and pig in the same context. However, be it pigs or pork, both were as distasteful to retired senior bank manager Varghese K.P. This would been unremarkable, had it not been for the fact that the gentleman had been nicknamed Pork Varghese, from his blameless childhood days. To add to the mockery, all his friends who had rechristened him the nickname thoroughly enjoyed pork dishes.

At some point, Varghese became resigned to the name. He hardly had a choice. His birth place is Angamaly. After all, denizens of Angamaly are awarded the Pork prefix, whether they choose it or not.

“Angamaly is famous for pork business,” reiterates Varghese. “But, neither do I do pork business nor eat.” He pauses to add, “Those days are gone. Now people call me Angamaly Varghese.”

And this was because he chose to write a book on Angamaly history.

History for most of us is what we gather from documents and cultural artefacts. Pigs, however found an imperceptible link with Angamaly history. Varghese, ex-banker, neo-historian waxes on pigs.

According to the written history, pigs found their way to Kerala from Portugal and Spain; a ‘Christian missionary import’ along with many other customs, beliefs and food habits. Pork used to be one of the main delicacies in Christian church seminaries. It is ironical that Bible talks about the miracle of driving the demons out of two men and having them enter a herd of pigs. That is the Bible. Thus, one can’t help wondering if the Malayalam idiom ‘Konnal Papam, thinnal theerum’ (meaning the sin of a killing will be pardoned by eating it) was followed literally by the Christians.

 

Varghese’s book on history of Angamaly town traces, among other things the origination of the town’s name. The meaning of Malayalam word ‘Angam’ is war. The word ‘Maly’ means playground. (There are many neighbouring places ending in same letter ‘Maly’.) He says, “Though the name of Angamaly is framed after fighting spirit of the people; winning war against Sultans was a difficult task those days. Perhaps the Christian missionaries played a strategy to win the game. Maybe they asked all families to maintain small pig farms in every house, as a strategy during the Islamic invasion periods. Pigs, as per strict Quran followers who invaded Kerala, meant defilement.”

 

Perhaps this is what protected this tract of land from invasion five hundred years ago, Varghese maintains. From mid-1500 onwards, people continued small scale farming in each house. In the recent past, when the generation moved to 1980’s, most of them stopped farming pigs. Later large pig farms started appearing in different corners of Kerala. “Black pigs too disappeared in time,” he says, adding, “Whatever be the Angamaly Pork history, I never used to eat Pork till 1980’s. In reality, we started eating pork by observing people in neighbouring districts. They started, we followed.  By mid 80s and 90s, I started eating during certain functions. Due to historical reasons, there are people who call people from Angamaly as Angamaly Pork’s affectionately even now. Once a name is stamped, it is not easy to change perception.”

Varghese embodies the spirit and soul of Angamaly when he adds excitedly, “It is not the usual white pigs you see in big farms, these days. The real smart ones are the small black pigs. You don’t get these any more. During 1960’s, at my house there used to be eight to ten black ones. For us, it was not a pleasant feeling to live along with the so-called city scavengers of those days.”

 

And the need to alter this is not pressing with a sector depending on pork for their livelihood. Varghese who retired as senior manager from a national bank, sighs wistfully. Banker Varghese could have been suitable alternative name. But, it never clicked. “My pen name in this history book (Angamaly Rekhakal) is Angamaly Varghese,” he said with a shrug. “Let us see if it changes the view on me. Though I don’t care.”

For Thondunga Jose, a pork-businessperson for last forty-eight years, the name has of course not been a struggle of identity. He says “What’s wrong with it? I am sixty-four years old. Forty years back, six to seven pigs in a house, meant meeting the marriage expenses of their daughters.” He pauses before adding, “Pork is my life. I have four pork shops, I eat four pieces daily too. Without pork no party at Angamaly can take place.”

 

The local pork fry—with garlic, green chilli, ginger, coconut; and pork curry with raw banana (they call both dishes ‘katta local’)—are the obvious favourite. “There are tons of pork at the capital of pork business,” laughs Jose. “Pork is good for health; no fat like beef. This item is fat burner.”

 

Angamaly is also known for one more thing. Greek traveller Cosmos mentions ‘Maly’ in AD 524 as Christian and pepper centre in his travelogues. Historians have later clarified this as ‘Angamaly’. In fact it is Bishop of Angamaly that has been mentioned in the ancient documents as Arch Bishop of all Indian Bishops. With all historical reasons associated, people here claim the town to the ‘Vatican of India’. Even so, no one can rule out a small strategic part played by pigs in this holy claim.