Months after controversy erupted at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on the alleged food rules in the hostel canteen, which sparked outrage among the student community. In the latest turn of events, the management has officially declared some tables in the mess "for vegetarian food which has created a huge uproar. The management has sent out a official mail saying few tables have been reserved for veg students.
The incident was reported by a representative of the student collective, Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC). According to the representative, First there were "vegetarian only" posters, that the iitb admin had awkwardly termed as "unauthorized", after protest by students. Then there was an unending delay in removing those. And now the admin has officially declared some tables in the mess as "for vegetarian food ONLY!" This act of segregation based on dietary preferences has been condemned by APPSC. Interestingly, an RTI query filed by students three months ago revealed that the institute did not have an official food segregation policy. Yet, different seating arrangements based on students’ food choices are still practised at the institute.
According to a report, the hotel's general secretary responded to the incident by sending an email to all students clarifying that while there is a counter for Jain food distribution in the canteen, there is no designated seating area for those who consume Jain food. He urged students to respect others' food preferences while in the canteen. An APPSC member filed an RTI query in November last year, seeking information on how many hostels in IIT Bombay have Jain food spaces in messes where non-vegetarian students are not allowed to consume egg or meat products. The RTI also sought details of the penalties imposed on students who bring non-vegetarian food into the Jain food sections on the messes. There is no separate space for students to have Jain food in any IIT Bombay hostel, according to the reply to the RTI query. Despite this, there have been instances of such segregation, according to APPSC. “We have received reports of individuals forcibly designating certain areas of the mess as 'Jain sitting space' and removing individuals who bring non-vegetarian food from those areas,” it said.