Delhi Police stops protest planned at Hansraj College over non-veg food ban diktat

Delhi Police did not allow a protest demonstration by students outside Delhi University’s Hansraj College on Friday against the ban on non-veg food items in the institution’s hostel and canteen.

Despite protest, the management of the college refused to revoke its decision citing the philosophy of the Arya Samaj which it follows. The college administration in February last year stopped serving non-vegetarian food items in its hostel and canteen, triggering protest from student bodies.

Forty students staging a demonstration outside the college against a “ban” on non-vegetarian food were allegedly detained by police on Friday, a students’ organisation representative said, according to PTI. The agency reported that the Hansraj College unit of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) on Wednesday called for a protest outside the college hostel against the “discontinuation” of non-vegetarian food at the institution. “We began our protest peacefully. However, the college administration did not let us in. They have shut all gates and no officials are coming out to talk to us,” SFI activist Sama said. “We wish to submit a memorandum but they are not allowing us entry,” she added.

Following the reopening of institution after coronavirus-induced lockdown last year, the college put a ban on serving non-vegetarian food items on college campus. The student groups objected to the decision saying it is “gross violation” of fundamental rights of an individual.

“There is no logic. First, Hinduism does not stops people from eating non-veg…For an argument sake, even your faith has commands you to do so, you cannot impose it on others,” said a student, on the condition of anonymity. He added that it is not less than a mockery in the modern India where you are not allowed to eat something because some people consider it wrong in the light of their belief, despite the fact the belief has no ground even in their religion.

The SFI has claimed that there have also been instances where the Hansraj administration confiscated eggs from students who brought them to the hostel. The majority of students of Hansraj are against this ban on non-vegetarian food and see this as an attempt to establish cultural hegemony, the student group said. Hansraj College principal Rama Sharma has refused to withdraw the order despite facing widespread criticism and asserted the DU constituent college follows Arya Samaj’s philosophy.

Speaking to PTI, Sharma has also claimed that 90 per cent of the students are vegetarian and they had earlier protested over non-veg food being served in the hostel.  “We are not going to withdraw the notice regarding non-veg food. It is an Arya Samaj college. We have our philosophy and that is why we won’t serve non-veg food. We conduct ‘havan’ regularly. We follow our rules. It is written in the hostel prospectus that non-veg food will not be served in the hostel,” she had said.

-INDIA NEWS STREAM