What has happened at IIT Bombay?
Some students at IIT Bombay were unhappy about a rule that reserved some tables in the hostel just for vegetarian food. They protested by eating non-vegetarian food at one of the reserved tables. Later, one of the protesting students was fined Rs 10,000, and an investigation was launched to identify other protestors.
Officials at Hostels 12, 13, and 14 had reserved six tables in their mess halls for vegetarians. They warned that action would be taken if anyone broke this rule.
In the middle of July, some students hung up a sign saying that a few tables were only for vegetarians. At first, the hostel officials said they didn't like this idea. They thought nobody should have reserved tables. However, later on, the tables were reserved.
What are the reactions to this protest?
Some students supported the protests, while others didn't. Many teachers have also criticised the policy. The Dean of Student Affairs (SA) has sent an email to everyone. He said there won't be a separate place for vegetarian food at IIT-Bombay.
However, the mess council in Hostels 12, 13, and 14 chose to set aside some tables. The hostel wardens have been asked to look into and solve the problem.
Are such divisive policies okay?
As Indians, we know the saying 'unity in diversity.' Our country has many different cultures, beliefs, languages, and ideas. Even though we are different, we have done well as a united country. Being Indian means being kind and polite to each other.
In our country, we can choose what food we like to eat. But we also need to be nice to others and respect their food choices, even if they are different from ours. This is because people decide to be vegetarian or non-vegetarian for very personal reasons.
We should make everyone feel comfortable when we share a place with different groups. If we make 'exclusive' places for one group, we unknowingly end up discriminating against other groups. To ensure peace between all groups, it's best not to have rules that divide us.
