Students cry 'forced vegetarianism' as meat off Aligarh Muslim University menu

AGRA: With meat going off the menu in all messes of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) hostels, following the UP government's crackdown on “illegal“ abattoirs, students have written to the vice-chancellor seeking his intervention. The issue also took a political colour when All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted about their plight. “15000 students in Aligarh Muslim University have not been served meat (buffalo) since 26 March and BJP says we are not targeting?“ he tweeted.

Hostel messes, where meat was served on all the days, are now serving only vegetarian food, much to the disliking of the students. AMUSU president Faizul Hassan said, “We are forced to eat vegetables. This is really not acceptable.“

In response to the AMU students' union letter to VC Zameer Uddin Shah, the management said it has no means to arrange over 500 kg meat (buffalo) every day for 19 dining halls in hostels when there are no abattoirs functional in Aligarh. The situation has become more serious because of the meat sellers' indefinite strike, as a result of which, dining halls are compelled to serve only vegetarian meals to the hostellers.


University's media consultant Dr Jasim Mohammad said a meeting has been scheduled for Thursday to discuss the issue and all provosts as well the Dean of Students' Welfare (DSW) would participate in it.

Speaking about the meat availability in Aligarh, Kalika Singh, regional officer of UP Pollution Control Board, said, “Of the seven slaughterhouses in Aligarh, four are operational at present. But due to non-availability of animals, they , too, are not providing any meat.“ He told TOI that the municipal corporation's own abattoir was shut down in 2014 due to some irregularities.