After an outrage by students and the social media over IIT Madras' controversial decision of opening separate entrances for vegetarian and non-vegetarian students in its RR North Indian mess, the institute now blames the caterer for the signs. In an email, Nihal K, the Hostel Affairs Secretary has said that the caterer was instructed to remove the signs immediately.
"The caterer has been instructed to remove the poster immediately upon its discovery by the Mess Monitoring Committee (MMC). The same had been undertaken by the caterer in their own volition and was not a directive given by the MMC," Nihal says. "In due course of time, action will be taken on the caterer after an inquiry on the incident," he adds.
But on the other hand, the email justifies the decision of opening separate entrances as the intent was "to make the passage to each counter easier."
Apart from opening two separate entrances, the institute had set up separate washbasins for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The decision was met with serious backlash from the students. "Upper-caste households in India would usually have two entrances - one for the upper castes and the other one in the back for the "impure" lower castes. A mess in IIT Madras is now having the same system," reads a viral post put up by the Facebook page Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, IIT Madras.
"This mess has two separate entrances for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Not just that - separate wash basins and separate utensils as well. What started as a demand for "pure" vegetarian mess has become full-fledged untouchability. IIT Madras is trying to become a world-class institute, but the culture inside is still regressive in many aspects!" it reads.
