Govt. seeks action report on IITs’ "tamsic" food

[V.Balasubramani]

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Govt. seeks action report on IITs’ "tamsic" food

RSS volunteer writes a letter to HRD Minister Smriti Irani

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has forwarded a letter from a Madhya Pradesh based ‘swayamsevak’ to the directors of all 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The letter from SSK Jain, a grain trader from Katni in MP, is addressed to HRD Minister Smriti Irani, with copies marked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. He accuses IITs of giving “kusanskar” or "bad culture of the West to students through food."

He writes, “The children who have started practicing non vegetarianism have saddened their parents by their ‘tamsic’ behaviour… It is the call of the parents of India that IITs and other institutions segregate their dining halls for vegetarians.”

Tamsic refers to foods like meat, onion, garlic and alcohol which are considered dullness inducing in Hindu scriptures. Saatvic refers to others foods which are not prohibited for consumption.

The letter, in Hindi, was forwarded by Undersecretary AK Singh to the IITs with a covering letter, also in Hindi, on October 15. It asks the directors to keep the ministry informed of action taken on the above letter. Copies of both letters are with this paper.

IIT Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi told this paper that the institute already has a separate vegetarian mess. “We have 12 messes that cater to more than 8000 students. There are different messes for Telugu cuisine, North Indian food and so on. A few years back there was a demand from a few students for a vegetarian mess, so one of the 12 messes was made exclusively vegetarian. More than 400 students use this mess,” he told The Hindu over phone.

Read more: Govt. seeks action report on IITs? "tamsic" food - The Hindu

Read also:http://www.sify.com/news/ban-on-non...n-rss-demand-news-national-ok4kIbhabjbdc.html

 

[JR]

Namaste,

I think it is correct to request separate kitchen and dining area for vegetarian students. Cross-contamination with non-veg foods is so likely if there is a unified kitchen cum eatery, which is why many people do not dine in veg cum. non-veg restaurants. But whether these veg only kitchens should avoid even onion and garlic is a question of concern. There are many health benefits to onion and garlic, even Mushrooms and besides they are part of the veg family. Besides many people who have quit eating NVG foods might have a tendency to revert back, should they have the exposure to the taste, juices, flavor of NVG again.

 

[V.Balasubramani]

No stand taken on segregation of mess in IITs: HRD Ministry

The Human Resource Development Ministry wrote to directors of all 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) on Thursday saying that no view had been taken on segregation of vegetarian and non-vegetarian mess.

The Hindu had reported that the Ministry had forwarded a letter from a Madhya Pradesh-based grain trader to the IITs on October 15. The letter from S.S.K. Jain of Katni, who described himself as a ‘swayamsevak’ and BJP supporter, demanded the segregation of vegetarian mess as students are influenced by the “western culture through non-vegetarian food.”

The Ministry’s covering letter had asked the IITs to inform it of action they might take in this regard. Non-vegetarian food has been stopped in IIT-Delhi this year and IIT-Madras has a separate vegetarian mess for the last couple of years.

In the letter on Thursday, Under Secretary A.K. Singh of Technical Section-I wrote, “ … the representations were forwarded to the Institutes in routine manner, without any view having being taken thereon.” (sic)

A Ministry source said, “Mr. Jain’s letter along with those of others on the same issue was sent to the IITs as a routine matter. In RTI age, this is done routinely. Add to this, the pressure of Modi’s MyGov portal inviting ideas. Further, no such direction can be given as this is an administrative matter to be decided by respective IITs which are autonomous.”

Source: No stand taken on segregationof mess in IITs: HRD Ministry - The Hindu

 

[renuka]

What about Muslims? Do they have a separate dining hall and kitchen?

True Muslims never eat food prepared by a Non Muslims. I know Muslims who would not even drink water from a house of a Non Muslim.

Muslims need halal(kosher) food and for them dining with a Non Muslim is not really advocated per their religion.

So I guess let every sect have their own kitchen and dining hall to prevent Kosher and Non Kosher food from mixing.

BTW what about Vegans? Vegas do not even drink milk or eat curds..should they too have a separate dining hall to prevent their food from being "cross contaminated" with milk and curds?


I feel some people tend to over react..they can have separate kitchens and dining halls..thats fine but they should be able to accept and respect the fact that not everyone has the same dietary specifications.

This is just acting Holier Than Thou as usual.

BTW is Non Veg food Western culture?

If this is true that means the Vedic Sacrifices of the past were also Western Culture for sacrificing animals!

So then one has to believe in the Invasion Theory becos Indian culture is supposed to be Vegetarian..so it must be the Invader that brought in Meat eating and sacrifices!

 

[biswa]

Renukaji

Vegans are summarily barred from IIT because milk is the ultimate sattvic food. I would like to see kosher food though.

 

[CHANDRU1849]

True Muslims never eat food prepared by a Non Muslims. I know Muslims who would not even drink water from a house of a Non Muslim.

Who is a true Muslim? Are muslims working in Public Sector Undertakings, where canteen facilities are available and muslims are taking food, not true muslims? In my office (PSU), we had separate counters for Veg and Non-Veg. and food prepared by B and Hindu NB respectively. Most of the Muslims colleagues used to take food in the canteen only.

Muslims need halal(kosher) food and for them dining with a Non Muslim is not really advocated per their religion.

What is halal?

BTW is Non Veg food Western culture?

So many KUZHAMBUS - Meen / Karuvadu / Chicken, Mutton etc. are from us. Biriyanis are from Muslims.

It is said that in Valmiki Ramayana, when Rama and Co were in forest, one day Sita was very hungry. She asked Rama to bring something. Rama hunted a Deer, roasted it and gave it to her.

This was probably the first known bar be que. LOL

 

[renuka]

Answers in blue...

Who is a true Muslim? Are muslims working in Public Sector Undertakings, where canteen facilities are available and muslims are taking food, not true muslims? In my office (PSU), we had separate counters for Veg and Non-Veg. and food prepared by B and Hindu NB respectively. Most of the Muslims colleagues used to take food in the canteen only.


In India Muslims are a minority..here unless a food outlet has a Halal Logo a Muslim wont enter it.


What is halal?

Halal is like Kosher of Jews..there is a technique of slaughtering the animals and recital of verses to render the food fit for consumption and also food can not be fermented.

Halal food is also food prepared by a Muslim cook who follow all the Syarak Hukums(Law) of food and cooking.

But some Muslims dont mind a Non Muslim preparing the food as long the food is Halal.



So many KUZHAMBUS - Meen / Karuvadu / Chicken, Mutton etc. are from us. Biriyanis are from Muslims.


Agreed...hence we have songs like:

uppuk karuvaadu ooravechcha soaRu oottivida nee poadhum enakku!​

It is said that in Valmiki Ramayana, when Rama and Co were in forest, one day Sita was very hungry. She asked Rama to bring something. Rama hunted a Deer, roasted it and gave it to her.

This was probably the first known bar be que. LOL


This I dont know..Vaagmi ji should be able to comment on this.
But as I had mentioned before in forum..manu smirti oblations to Pitrs were pucca non veg almost a whole discovery channel of the Serengeti kind!

 

[Vaagmi]

Namaste,

I think it is correct to request separate kitchen and dining area for vegetarian students. Cross-contamination with non-veg foods is so likely if there is a unified kitchen cum eatery, which is why many people do not dine in veg cum. non-veg restaurants. But whether these veg only kitchens should avoid even onion and garlic is a question of concern. There are many health benefits to onion and garlic, even Mushrooms and besides they are part of the veg family. Besides many people who have quit eating NVG foods might have a tendency to revert back, should they have the exposure to the taste, juices, flavor of NVG again.

JRji,

Onion, garlic mushrooms etc.,if taken as a medicine on need basis will be okay.

 

[Vaagmi]

What about Muslims? Do they have a separate dining hall and kitchen?

True Muslims never eat food prepared by a Non Muslims. I know Muslims who would not even drink water from a house of a Non Muslim.

Muslims need halal(kosher) food and for them dining with a Non Muslim is not really advocated per their religion.

So I guess let every sect have their own kitchen and dining hall to prevent Kosher and Non Kosher food from mixing.

BTW what about Vegans? Vegas do not even drink milk or eat curds..should they too have a separate dining hall to prevent their food from being "cross contaminated" with milk and curds?


I feel some people tend to over react..they can have separate kitchens and dining halls..thats fine but they should be able to accept and respect the fact that not everyone has the same dietary specifications.

This is just acting Holier Than Thou as usual.

BTW is Non Veg food Western culture?

If this is true that means the Vedic Sacrifices of the past were also Western Culture for sacrificing animals!

So then one has to believe in the Invasion Theory becos Indian culture is supposed to be Vegetarian..so it must be the Invader that brought in Meat eating and sacrifices!

We are so much influenced by the western thoughts imbibed by the westernised education system that we have willingly pledged our original thinking to that system. With the result we not only learn what to think about , we also learn how to think and understand. It is unique to Hinduism that we believe that what is eaten profoundly affects one's behavior.

The students-the equivalent in ancient times was brahmachari-was to be careful about what he ate because on that depended his success in learning all that he wanted to learn. So the discipline was strict. If he ate meat-kosher or no kosher because I do not believe kosher in any way makes the meat sAtvic food-he may be so affected that he may covet the (Guru) Rishipatni whom he was supposed to treat with respect and love as a mother.

An IIT student is the modern day equivalent of a brahmachari who is truly in search of knowledge and a certain discipline in what he eats is necessary. Particularly if the youngsters who are brilliant-by God's gift-are to live a free life eating and drinking whatever they thought ok and sanctioned by the licentious western culture, they may end up as monsters who will be the future perfect bomb/bomber makers.

I believe this fact, is now lost in unnecessary politics of a specious variety which is special to India. We have people who have sold their conscience lock stock and barrel to western culture. There is no hope as long as these stupid liberalist soldiers are in influential positions. Cry the beloved country.

 

[Vaagmi]

It is said that in Valmiki Ramayana, when Rama and Co were in forest, one day Sita was very hungry. She asked Rama to bring something. Rama hunted a Deer, roasted it and gave it to her.

This was probably the first known bar be que. LOL

Yes. There is a sloka which says so. But Rama was born a kshatriya and that settles the issue. If Chandru is going to persist with his Rama hatred, I will have to react in a different way to hit back.

This I dont know..Vaagmi ji should be able to comment on this.
But as I had mentioned before in forum..manu smirti oblations to Pitrs were pucca non veg almost a whole discovery channel of the Serengeti kind!

I have answered this already in the thread in which this was first spoken about by Renukaji. Whatever a shraadhdha performer does adds shreyas to himself and does not affect the pitr in any way. All claims to the contrary are spurious.

My friend Thangapandi even today offers a bottle of home brewed arrack along with a Dindigul cigar as offerings to his personal Godhead when the annual kodai is celebrated in my village. So you can do one of the two things. 1. You can believe that the Amman who is worshipped is an alcoholic enjoying arrack and also smokes tobacco because she is a tobacco addict too. 2. Pandi wants to drink arrack and smoke a cigar and so offers it to his most revered God and then take it himself enjoying it immensely.

In vaishnavism there is a belief that we offer what is most precious to us to the God while we offer a Guru what is most precious to him.

Think about this. A light may get switched on in darkness.

In future when this kind of non-sense is repeated I will ignore it.

 

[CHANDRU1849]

Yes. There is a sloka which says so. But Rama was born a kshatriya and that settles the issue. If Chandru is going to persist with his Rama hatred, I will have to react in a different way to hit back.

For a Smartha, it is not possible to speak against any Hindu God or a God 'Made in Hinduism'. Therefore, being a Smartha, I am not an exception. The reply doesn't mean that I am scared of your knee jerk reaction.

It seems no one was a strict Veg. during Varna Period. Did Pshatriyas have any exception to be Non-Veg. If Hinduism preached non-violence against animals during Varna Period, it applied to Pshatriyas also.

 

[JR]

This whole thing about Rama and Sita eating a 'deer' is made-up! It has been accepted to be an interpolation of the original valmiki Ramayana. According to PeriyaVachan Pillai's 'Divya Prabandha Ramayanam', he too describes Rama as 'Vanam poi pukkuk kayodu needu kaniyundu' meaning Rama and Sita and Lakshmana ate vegetables/roots/tubers and fruits available at the forest.

 

[sarang]

I believe this fact, is now lost in unnecessary politics of a specious variety which is special to India. We have people who have sold their conscience lock stock and barrel to western culture. There is no hope as long as these stupid liberalist soldiers are in influential positions. Cry the beloved country.

Agree with you sir. And when modi quotes from puranas, some get diarrhea. Can't understand the significance of itihasa and purana and mythology (which does not exist in hindu ethos).

 

[sangom]

For a Smartha, it is not possible to speak against any Hindu God or a God 'Made in Hinduism'. Therefore, being a Smartha, I am not an exception. The reply doesn't mean that I am scared of your knee jerk reaction.

It seems no one was a strict Veg. during Varna Period. Did Pshatriyas have any exception to be Non-Veg. If Hinduism preached non-violence against animals during Varna Period, it applied to Pshatriyas also.

Shri Chandru,

Valmiki's Ramayana (VR) did not (that is what scholars opine) depict Rama as an avataara of Vishnu. In fact Baalakanda and Ayodhyaa Kaandaa are later additions made to the original VR, they say, so that the divine cover given to Rama in the Adhyaatma Ramayana would be supported.

Regarding meat-eating by Rama, Kshatriyas are/were allowed to eat meat. But the problem pointed out, and this may be available in many spots in the internet, is the undernoted one :—

Two slokas in VR form the crux of this criticism.

1. कुश चीराजिनधरं फलमूलाशनं च माम् ।
विद्धि प्रणिहितं धर्मे तापसं वनगॊचरम् ॥ २-५०-४४
kuśa cīrājinadharaṃ phalamūlāśanaṃ ca mām |
viddhi praṇihitaṃ dharme tāpasaṃ vanagocaram || 2-50-44

“Know me as under a vow to be an ascetic, wearing the robes of bark and deerskin and by piety, I am determined to live in the forest as a Taapasa, by eating roots and fruits only.”

2. तौ तत्र हत्वा चतुरः महामृगान् वराहमृष्यं पृशतं महारुरुम् ।
आदाय मेध्यं त्वरितं बुभुक्षितौ वासाय काले ययतुर्वनस्पतिम् ॥ २-५२-१०२
tau tatra hatvā caturaḥ mahāmṛgān varāhamṛṣyaṃ pṛśataṃ mahārurum |
ādāya medhyaṃ tvaritaṃ bubhukṣitau vāsāya kāle yayaturvanaspatim || 2-52-102


Having hunted there four (large) deer, namely varāha, ṛṣya, pṛśata and mahāruru (the four principal species of deer) and taking quickly the portions that were edible, being hungry as they were, Rama and Lakshmana reached a tree to take rest in the evening.

Here Valmiki says that Rama had told his mother that he would not eat meat, but lead the life of a taapasa, by wearing the robes of bark and deerskin and by piety, he was determined to live in the forest as a Taapasa, by eating roots and fruits only, whereas, after crossing the Ganga, hunger overtakes him and he orders Lakshmana to get food. Lakshmana promptly hunts and kills four animals - one from each species of deer - and the they quickly eat the edible portions of these animals and proceed for a siesta.

The problem for the faithful is that Rama is shown just like any ordinary man; telling something and doing exactly the opposite. Possibly Valmiki envisaged only a Rama of this ordinary kind only. But our religion has put on a very different attire on Rama and hence this comes out as a big thorn for the believers to swallow.

People were smugly happy but when the scriptures became easily available through the internet to everyone, such criticisms have raised their head!

 

[sarang]

In fact most of the collage hostels had separate veg and nonveg mess with separate kitchen and eating hall. In fact some colleges (BITS, pilani) had only veg mess. Even star hotels now prominently advertise that they have separate veg kitchen and separate utensils.

In our college, we strongly resisted non veg students invading veg mess on special dish days and exhausting the fare. Many other than brahmin sects like saiva pillai were more assertive and helped to preserve the sanctity and exclusivity.