A group of students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has voiced concerns about dietary preference-based segregation at one of the dormitory canteens.
According to reports, vegetarian students are allegedly given access to a separate area where non-vegetarians are not allowed. Twitter complaints further escalated the matter when some students expressed their embarrassment over the situation.
The student collective, Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), took to Twitter to address the issue. APPSC noted that despite the absence of an institute policy for food segregation, certain individuals had taken it upon themselves to label specific mess areas as "Vegetarians Only."
In response to the concerns raised, the hostel's general secretary sent an email to all residents. It was clarified that there was no dedicated, separate sitting area for vegetarian students.
However, the email acknowledged the occurrence of instances where certain areas in the mess were designated as 'Jain sitting space,' with individuals being removed if they brought non-vegetarian food to those areas.
The email emphasised that such behaviour went against the values of mutual respect and tolerance upheld in the IIT Bombay community. Furthermore, the email warned of severe measures if similar incidents were to happen in the future.
It stated that no student possessed the authority to bar another from using a space in the mess based on dietary preferences or group affiliations.
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