PETA wants IIT-B to ban meat, dairy
The students frowned upon the PETA's letter as they felt one's diet should be a matter of choice.
Mumbai: In the wake of reports surfacing about the Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) allegedly banning meat in its cafeteria, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has sent a letter to the director of the institute, asking it to ban meat, eggs and dairy products, and shift to ‘all-vegan menus’.
Graphically narrating how meat and dairy products are ‘produced’, the letter goes on to say that the animal rights group would support the institute if it stops serving non-vegetarian food to students. The letter also described how meat consumption contributes to global warming.
However, reacting to the letter, IIT-B’s public relation officer said the institute wouldn’t discriminate on the basis of eating habits. “The Institute does not favour or prefer any one over another or discriminate on vegetarian or non-vegetarian grounds. Students and faculty from across the globe and varied cultural backgrounds come to IIT-B as the institute boasts of an inclusive and assimilating culture and we continue to foster such culture,” the public relation officer said, adding that as citizens of a democratic country, the students were free to choose what they want to eat.
PETA’s policy head Nikunj Sharma said “We, being a science institution, have shared scientific facts with it and we expect it to understand as it too belong to the same sector. Chennai-based German International School has completely transformedinto a vegan institute. Why can’t we make IIT-B like it.” It was recently alleged that students were asked to sit at separate tables and use separate plates for non-vegetarian and vegetarian food items at the canteens. Following this, the civil engineering department of IIT-B last week decided to ban meat from its cafeteria, which sparked of a controversy.
The students frowned upon the PETA’s letter as they felt one’s diet should be a matter of choice. An architecture student from IIT-B said, “It would be very upsetting if they just randomly decide to stop the sale of meat and dairy products from our canteens. Moreover, a diktat preventing us from consuming what we to will not be accepted.”