What began as a seemingly routine student demand for dietary inclusion has now spiralled into a case of internal discord and public distancing. A representation submitted by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) unit at the Central University of Gujarat (CUG) in Vadodara—seeking non-vegetarian options in the university’s hostel mess menu—has triggered embarrassment within the organisation, leading the ABVP’s Gujarat state unit to officially disown the move.
Reports claimed that the request was initially raised earlier this week by Munna Kumar, the president of ABVP’s CUG unit and a native of Bihar. The representation, submitted to CUG Registrar H B Patel, reportedly cited lack of student consultation in the newly issued tender for the mess contract, and demanded that non-vegetarian food be included at least twice a week.
Vegetarianism has not been a historical practice in Gujarat. However, it is state-sponsored value system of sorts that has become institutionalised in way under the BJP. Interestingly, as per the census data of 2011, over 39 per cent of Gujarat’s population identifies itself as non-vegetarian. And when you come to think of it, Muslims comprise only nine per cent of the state’s population. Thus, dispelling the notion that only the Muslims are eating meat.
The memorandum, according to a national daily, noted that 80–90 per cent of the student population at CUG hails from outside Gujarat, and pointed to the absence of eggs and fruits in the breakfast menu as another issue requiring correction.
In the words of the document, the unit stated it was bringing to the university’s attention the “discrepancies in the recent tender issued for the CUG mess menu,” and urged the administration to ensure that “students do not face injustice in the future.”
However, just days later, the ABVP Gujarat state unit distanced itself from the demand. State secretary Samarth Bhatt said that there was no official mandate from the organisation to raise such an issue.
Bhatt admitted that while ABVP does have workers in northeastern states and Kerala who consume non-vegetarian food, this demand had not been authorised by the leadership. He characterised the move as a mistake by the CUG unit, and clarified that their intention was merely to draw attention to the food choices of students from diverse regions, not to make non-vegetarian food a mandatory component of the mess menu.
Registrar Patel told media outlets that the new tender had already been floated, and as in previous years, non-vegetarian food had not been incorporated. He added that no decision had been taken on the matter yet, as the administration would need to consult the Provost’s office and the Dean of Student Welfare (DSW).
The report, attributing unnamed officials from the university, has mentioned that the CUG hostel accommodates around 550 students. The university is in the process of relocating from Sector 29 in Gandhinagar to its new permanent campus in Kundhela, located in Vadodara’s Dabhoi district.
Earlier, CUG students from various states were allowed to arrange non-vegetarian meals for themselves, especially when they were residing outside the temporary Gandhinagar campus which lacked hostel facilities. The representation reportedly aimed to cater to students’ food preferences in the spirit of that earlier flexibility.
The representation was allegedly submitted without consultation with the state leadership, following an ABVP workers’ meeting at the university last week.
While CUG’s diverse demographic is acknowledged, the move to submit a demand for non-vegetarian food did not align with ABVP’s official position.
Students residing on the new campus claimed that the campus’s remote location has left them with limited food options, thereby compounding the urgency of such dietary appeals.
Also Read: Elderly Indian-Origin Tourists Found Dead In The US https://www.vibesofindia.com/elderly-indian-origin-tourists-found-dead-in-the-us/
