HYDERABAD: The politics of food is now breaking out on the 'T' struck Osmania University campus. Asserting their food culture, a large bunch of Dalit students have asked the administration to serve beef in their hostel mess. In a petition submitted to university's vice chancellor, S Satyanarayana , the students have stated that their food habits were ridiculed and insulted on the campus as members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted an attempt to cook beef in New Research Scholars' Hostel on March 11.

Challenging the 'casteist food culture', the students will also hold a beef festival in front of Osmania University (OU) Arts College in April. During the festival, cooked beef will be served and is being conducted as part of the birth anniversary celebrations of national leaders like B R Ambedakar (April 14), Jyotiba Phule (April 11) and Babu Jagjivan Ram (April 5), who were anti-caste ideologues. The university administration, though aware of the petition has not given permission to conduct such a festival.

The Dalit students form the second largest caste group with 2,000 members on OU campus. The campus which has a total student strength of 8,000 has about 4,000 OBC and 1,000 tribal students. "We decided to conduct such a public meeting as there have been several instances in the past where we were humiliated because of our food habits. Dalit PG students were rebuked and even roughed up by others when they cooked any non-vegetarian food in hostels during certain festival days," said Sudarshan, a research scholar enrolled in Arts College. Observers said that this is the second time that the Dalit students of OU have come together to assert their identity. In 2011, students had organised a unique Dasara celebration on campus, where Ravana, the mythical character symbolising Dalit identity, was glorified.

When asked whether the OU administration will give permission for beef festival, OU vice chancellor said that the matter is sensitive and hence a decision cannot be taken in haste. "We have asked some faculty members to talk to the students. We are trying to get things under control," said S Satyanarayana, vice chancellor, OU. He said that the issue came to his notice when some sections of the student community on campus complained about the same. "On March 11, I requested some senior teachers to get in touch with them and asked them to stop the exercise as this would create tension on campus," said Satyanarayana. Experts said the beef festival will face serious opposition on campus.