Hindu vs Muslim. Pork vs Beef. Osmania university finds itself in the eye of the storm and rejects both “Beef Fest” and “Go Puja”. But not the “Pork Fest”.
G Menon | HENB | Hyderabad | Dec 3, 2015:: Tensions are rising in Osmania University as a Hindu group of students have decided to hold a ‘pork festival’ which will coincide with the planned ‘beef festival’ in the campus on December 10.
Shriman Solanki Srinivas, one of the leaders of the group organizing the pork festival, said that pig-rearing provides livelihood to certain communities, adding that it is a “nutritious food choice”. He also refuted the charge that his student group was organising the event to counter the beef festival, saying, “You eat your food. We eat ours…”
A group of students belonging to tribal Banjara Committee decided to organise the festival of pork. Chairman of the Banjara Students Joint Action Committee said their festival would showcase the traditional foods of Banjara community.
Some foodaholic students also want to add crab dishes to this pork fest to promote the jest of the participants.
Srinivas’ event will add fuel to the fire that is raging in Osmania University, after Hindutva groups led by the local BJP MLA of Gosamahal Thakur raja Singh Lodh vowed to disrupt the beef festival, as he declared a ‘Go Pujan Programme’ in University campus on the same date of Dec 10.
“Organising a beef festival on the university campus is against the traditions of the college and harms the faith of the majority Hindu community students, teachers and also disturbs the education environment,” Raja Singh, the BJP MLA from Goshamahal, said. He also appealed to in-charge vice-chancellor Ranjeev Acharya to cancel the event and urged her to take action against the organisers.
“Dadri will repeat here if they conduct the beef festival,” Singh said, referring to the lynching of 52-year-old Mohammad Ikhlaq, allegedly involved with cooking of calf meat.
The organisers of the event — Muslim student groups along with Left wing student bodies like SFI, AISF and PDSU — have lodged a police complaint against Singh, accusing him of disrupting the peace on the campus.
As per face book posting of Raja Singh, through a Press Note dated Dec 2, the PRO Osmania University (OU) cancelled both “Beef Fest” and the “Go Pujan” by saying, ‘*’The primary objective of the University is purely academic and research oriented. It is, therefore, informed to all concerned including the teachers, students and staff of the University that activities such as “Beef Festival”, “Go Puja” which are unrelated to academics and research will not permitted in the campus.’*’
But, as there no mention of Pork Fest in the University press note prohibiting cow related matters, the organisers of Pork Fest are in full mood to make a great test of it!
Some students of OU opine, “We also strongly recommend Crab, Tortoise Festivals (without violating WL norms), these are also healthy and tasteful but Haram to them. Everyday we should arrange Pork Meals all over the country, then see how anti Hindus will tone down and become respectful to us. Power respects power”.
__Agencies.