Separate counter: PU’s cracking solution to egg vs vegetarian debate at hostel messes

The move comes after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, submitted a memorandum to the PU dean students welfare, following an incident at Boys Hostel Number 2, where a student had found a piece of egg in a plate of vegetarian noodles

While many students will still debate whether eggs are non-vegetarian or not, Panjab University (PU) has picked a side and will now demarcate a separate zone and use different utensils for preparing eggs in hostel messes.

This is the first time that PU has officially addressed the issue. Earlier, the demand was for a separate mess for non-vegetarian food, but with not enough space and not many non-vegetarian options on offer, it has been decided to just make a separate counter and use a separate pan to cook eggs. (HT File)

The move comes after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, submitted a memorandum to the PU dean students welfare (DSW), following an incident at Boys Hostel Number 2, where a student had found a piece of egg in a plate of vegetarian noodles.

The memorandum was submitted to the DSW for taking measures against non-vegetarian food cooked in the messes, which has now been accepted.

This is the first time that PU has officially addressed the issue. Earlier, the demand was for a separate mess for non-vegetarian food, but with not enough space and not many non-vegetarian options on offer, it has been decided to just make a separate counter and use a separate pan to cook eggs.

PU DSW Amit Chauhan said he had directed that all hostel messes maintain separate utensils so that such incidents can be prevented. “There is nothing wrong with eating eggs and students will be allowed to eat it in the mess itself. It’s just that for those who may wish not to eat it, a separate pan for cooking eggs would keep something like this from happening again,” he said.

When asked about whether such a decision carries any casteist undertones, officials maintained that it’s not about religion or caste at all, it’s just a personal choice and respecting the sentiments of all students.

While PU hostel messes don’t serve chicken or meat dishes, officials said students were free to go to the market for non-vegetarian food and there had never been any request as such to introduce such meals in hostels.

ABVP PU president Rajat Puri said, “We took up the issue after multiple students had complained to us. Some of the PU hostels were already using separate pans for cooking eggs. Now, this will be done in all hostels and many students are happy with this decision.”

There are 21 hostels at PU. Each hostel has two messes except for the working women’s hostel and international hostel, which have one mess each. Each mess is managed by a different contractor.

Around 7,600 varsity students are staying in hostels. Officials said since the contractors were different, it would be difficult to ascertain approximately how many eggs PU hostels consumed in a day. Those who want chicken/meat need to just go outside Gate Number 2 to the Sector-15 market, with many options available there, they added.

After an unverified video of a PU hostel kitchen went viral a few days back with worms and insects crawling over vegetables and dishes in a PU  hostel kitchen, rotten vegetables and smoked cigarette butts lying on the ground and an unsanitary refrigerator also visible, DSW Chauhan said he has spoken with all hostel wardens and warned all hostels to remain ready for surprise inspections.

The authorities have also already inspected about six boys’ and girls’ hostels.

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