The Tata Institute of Social Sciences has become the latest battleground of on campus food politics, with a section of students demanding that beef and pork be included in the campus menu.The demand has sparked a sharp divide in the institute, with Dalit students saying beef and pork is a part of their conventional diet and it was “Brahminical” on the part of the institute to deny them the right to consume it on campus.While there has been tension in the institute over the issue since the completion of the student union elections on July 25, college authorities had to step in on Friday after students from either side took to social media, where things turned ugly.The college disciplinary committee called representatives of both sides to find an amicable resolution and even asked a student to apologise for his derogatory remarks on Facebook.While Simeen Kaleem, the newly-elected president of the students’ union, refused to comment, sources from the institute said a representation had gone to Director S Parsuraman.“The issue came up during the elections,” said Parasuraman. “Someone sent me a photo of a pamphlet of a demand to include beef and pork. There is a food committee that decides the menu and it is not an issue that comes to me.”Students speaking on condition of anonymity said the issue is still far from resolved.“Beef and pork is a staple diet of many of us especially Schedule Caste and tribal students,” said Nilesh Kumar, a PhD student at the institute. “There is a sizable chunk of such students. We are in favour of introducing these two items on the menu. If this move is opposed on the grounds that it hurts sentiments of some students, then it will be violation of our basic rights too.”Another student from the Northeast said on Facebook that pork was a common food for people from many parts of India and it was discriminatory to deny them the right to eat it in the dining hall.In 2012, a beef festival at Hyderabad’s Osmania University had faced strong hostility from right-wing groups leading to violent clashes on campus. RPI leader and former Mumbai University professor Avinash Mhatekar said the matter should not be given political contours.“Like we have the choice to eat anything, it is the choice of the person who serves what to serve,” said Prof Mhatekar. “There should be no restriction on serving beef or pork as long as it does not affect others who eat in the canteen. They must have separate counters. If particular food items are banned, it will be unfair.”