The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) is facing criticism over its contradictory stance on food segregation after the administration was seen facilitating elaborate meal arrangements for Ramadan while previously “refusing” its approval for vegetarian-only tables, calling it “exclusionary and casteist.”
An internal email sent by the General Secretary (Health Advisory HA) on behalf of “Ramadan volunteers” informed students about Sehri (pre-dawn meal) arrangements for those observing the fast. Hostels were divided into zones for easy access, and meals would be delivered to female hostels based on headcount. Students interested in availing of the facility were asked to register.
Today #IITBombay students rec'd a mail about the amazing fasting preparation for #Ramadan. Entire Humanities department had a collective orgasm.
The same professors and some left students had had a fit when a mere six tables were reserved for those eating vegetarian food. Anyone… pic.twitter.com/IDcrUjSlLl
— Eminent Intellectual (@total_woke_) February 9, 2025
However, this move has reignited accusations of selective religious favoritism. Critics pointed out that IIT-B had recently faced criticism for a decision to allocate just a few tables for vegetarian students, following intense backlash from leftist student groups and faculty members.
In 2023, posters marking “vegetarians only” seating areas appeared in a hostel mess, triggering outrage from the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC). The posters were torn down, and RTI inquiries later confirmed that IIT-B has no official policy allowing separate eating spaces. The administration followed up with a warning email, declaring that no student had the right to designate areas for specific food preferences.
Even though the vegetarian-only tables were open to all castes and religions, the move was labeled “discriminatory” and “a Brahminical imposition.” Some activist students even went as far as to deliberately consume non-vegetarian food at those tables in protest.
Yet, the same faculty and student groups that opposed vegetarian tables have raised no objections to Ramadan-specific dining arrangements. This has led to allegations that IIT-B selectively enforces its so-called secular principles—opposing dietary preferences linked to Hindu and Jain traditions while bending over backward to accommodate Islamic practices.
This extends beyond seating arrangements. While vegetarian tables were deemed casteist, halal food remains unquestioned on campus. Critics argue that if separate tables for vegetarians were seen as divisive, then so should halal-only meat, which actively excludes non-Muslim butchers. However, IIT-B faculty and leftist student groups remain silent on this inconsistency.
One of those leftist “professors” who was at the forefront of these anti-Hindu/Jain activities was Suryakant Waghmore.
This "professor" Suryakant Waghmore was at the forefront of all anti Hindu anti Jain activities. Watch this video, I don't have to say more. pic.twitter.com/0e1nlHhSLU
— Eminent Intellectual (@total_woke_) February 9, 2025
Now, however, with Ramadan meal arrangements being officially coordinated by the administration, critics ask why IIT Bombay applies different rules depending on the religion in question.
Despite the growing criticism, Akshay Sawant, a representative of the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC) at IIT-B, dismissed the criticism, stated to The Free Press Journal that the campus celebrates numerous Hindu festivals, including Holi, Diwali, and Ganesh Chaturthi, with enthusiasm. He labeled the allegations as baseless and an attempt to undermine the department’s liberal environment.
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