http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-05-03/hyderabad/29499005_1_beef-festival-abvp-students-eflu
Trouble brews at Eflu over beef in menu
May 3, 2011, 12.24am IST
HYDERABAD: The beef row on English and Foreign Languages University
(Eflu) campus intensified on Monday. While Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP) activists maintained that they would attack anyone who
cooks beef on campus, a large group of students lead by Dalit Adivasi
Bahujan Minority Students' Association (DABMSA) and Telangana
Students' Association, said that they will continue the agitation till
beef gets accepted in the hostel food guide.
Trouble started on campus on April 30 when dalit students of the
university who tried to conduct a " beef festival" were allegedly
beaten up by ABVP activists who also reportedly desecrated the food.
On Monday, beef supporters initiated a "food bandh" on campus, closing
down the hostel messes, canteens and stores demanding inclusion of
beef dishes in the mess menu. The students said that no food will be
available on campus if their demands were not met.
The campus remained tense on Monday with several student groups
holding meetings with university authorities demanding immediate
action on those who indulged in vandalism on campus. Considering the
sensitivity of the situation, police personnel from Osmania University
police station were deputed at Eflu campus.
"We have started a non-cooperation and have been on a hunger strike
since Sunday night till our demands are met. We have decided to
continue with the agitation till our demands are met," said L Rajesh,
a member DABMSA. DASMA demanded that the university authorities should
issue a statement saying that the students have the right to hold
similar food festivals on campus.
Meanwhile, the issue drew attention of student groups of other
Universities including Osmania University (OU) and University of
Hyderabad (UoH). Dalit Students' Union (DSU) of UoH campus has joined
DABMSA in the protest by bring out posters in support. "University as
an institution of learning should protect the interests of dalit
students also and prevent a cultural negation that has been going on
in the country since long," a DSU poster read. Some social and human
rights activists are also expected to extend support to students. "We
are expecting that a public interest litigation (PIL) will be filed by
Karthik Navayan, an activist to get a court order supporting the
inclusion of beef in the hostel menu," said a member of DABMSA.
Meanwhile, ABVP students against whom complaints were filed by DABMSA
at OU police station said that including beef in the mess menu with
the permission of university administration is out of question. "There
are Hindu students whose beliefs would be hurt by such an act. We are
accountable to them and hence we are against the festival," said a
member of the ABVP body on campus.
Meanwhile, the university authorities said that they have set up an
enquiry committee to look into the incident. "Once the enquiry
committee ascertains facts about the incident we will look into the
demands of students," said Nagamallika Gudipaty, dean, school of
communication and spokesperson Eflu.
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