At HIMS, students eating meat have their meals in an open field

Many medical students studying in Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences, a government institute run by the Department of Medical Education, had chicken curry for dinner outside the hostel building on Friday night. Whenever non-vegetarian food is served in the hostel, they go out to the open field to eat.

The cooks, who prepared chicken curry and rice for students, kept the containers outside the kitchen so that they can fill their plates and eat it sitting in the lawns or in the open field. This has been the practice followed or imposed on the non-vegetarians in the hostel. “We don’t know who started it. When we came here as students, our seniors went to the field whenever non-vegetarian food is served. We have been following this practice and never questioned it,” said a student, who refused to be named.

The hostel has a total strength of 250 students, and the number of students having non-vegetarian food is about 150. The mess facility is based on a dividing system, where the total cost incurred on food a month is divided equally among the students. “We don’t have a fixed day for non-veg in the kitchen. The mess committees considering the students’ opinion decides to make chicken twice a month. A committee of students’ representatives handle the mess,” the student said. The hostel warden monitors the mess functioning.

There is no restriction to cook chicken in the kitchen where vegetarian food is also prepared. However, it is not served in the dining hall. “Maybe our seniors chose to eat it outside to avoid discomfort to our vegetarian friends. The issue has not been a dispute since I joined this institute,” a student said.

A few students find it strange and improper, but wish not to raise it. “We feel insulted as we are not allowed to have our food in the dining hall. Non-vegetarian food is part of our food culture. But, like me, nobody wants to raise their voice against it as it is a tricky issue. We wish to complete our course without getting involved in such issues,” opined another student.

Kanthaiah, associate professor of bio-chemistry and warden of the hostel, told The Hindu , “There is no restriction on having non-vegetarian food in the dining hall. Students go out to have it on their own. We have not issued such an instruction,” he said.