A recent news story about two Indian PhD students in the US receiving a $200,000 settlement after a racist remark about the “smell” of palak paneer struck a deep chord online. As the story went viral, it triggered wider conversations about food, identity, racism, and the unspoken rules that shape shared spaces in multicultural societies.
When food becomes identity
Food has long been weaponised as a marker of difference. The “smell of curry” trope, often used to demean Indians, reflects how everyday cultural practices can be turned into tools of exclusion. In this case, the legal settlement highlights not just prejudice, but also how institutions respond when reputation and international credibility are at stake.
Universities in the US often choose settlements over prolonged legal battles, not always as an admission of guilt, but to avoid financial and reputational damage. International students matter deeply to these institutions, and their trust is closely tied to global standing.
Personal comfort or silent exclusion?
Interestingly, such boundaries are not always imposed from outside. Many Indians living abroad quietly recreate familiar lines within their own communities. In the UK, housing listings restricted by food habits, religion, or lifestyle are common among Indian migrants. While personal comfort in one’s home is understandable, these preferences can easily harden into barriers that deny others access to basic needs like housing.
This reflects a larger truth: food and purity politics are not only external pressures but can also be internalised and carried across borders.
Co-existence needs negotiation, not erasure
Critics of multiculturalism often argue that tolerance leads to chaos or moral relativism. In reality, co-existence is built on openness, dialogue, and reasonable compromise. Liberal societies do not demand that all differences be accepted without question; they ask that disagreements do not turn into dehumanisation.
India’s own history of pluralism shows that diverse practices can coexist through pragmatism and goodwill. Liberalism, at its core, seeks to balance individual freedom with collective functioning—without forcing uniformity or allowing majoritarian dominance.
Beyond outrage
While racism must be called out firmly, this episode also invites introspection. True multicultural harmony depends not just on laws and settlements, but on everyday choices—about empathy, boundaries, and the willingness to live with difference.