“There is no first aid, or protective gear to stave off such injuries. There are no toilets, no shade”
—Jamuna Khatuwa, a coastal fishworker in Bakkhali, West Bengal
Fisheries
“You should’ve come when we get bombil. It is beautiful, every surface of Mandav is covered with it”
—Leela Solanki, who dries fish at Versova village, Mumbai
Dried Fish: Going Beyond Smell
While India has a rich and diverse culture around cooking dried fish, it hasn’t been celebrated owing to its fraught histories, matters of identity, and smells. Shruti Tharayil writes on challenging old hierarchies of sm…