Dude...It's da FOOD!

When the classes are called off, or the shrill bell for the coffee break rings through the corridoors, the siren for chai time masti also called the 'break time' begins. That's where- our dear readers, we end up in the Cafe, Canteen, Dhaba and the Kolbas...(well, are there any kolbas in DU?). One goes there all pooped out, eager to gorge on good food, talk laugh and unwind. But have you ever wondered putting that yum samosa or that mouth watering (slurp!) butter-chicken piece in your mouth- that maybe somewhere, it is unhygienic? Well, actually the fact of the hour is that it is not just unhygienic but also unhealthy. With bird Flu presiding over Delhi’s multi cuisine atmosphere (which is mostly non veg!), we can no longer shrug it off, it is a serious problem.


The students, ofcourse, cannot do without eating at all, and so, seem to compromise with the quality of the food. The unhygenic conditions in which the way the food is cooked, the utensils and spoons rinsed with just plain water, use of stale vegetables,etc, seem to be one of the common grievences in most colleges. Rats, most shockingly , have been spotten, having a gala in the kitchens, rolling in the flour bags and feeling at "home". Amused students refer to their canteen as "the rat-teen" and others wince at the very thought of these unwanted guests. Lot of canteens do not have proper lighting system and are actually quite dirty. When it comes to food, some students suggest that healthy food should be provided. Some canteens like in Gargi do not have proper "thali" system, where one can have a full meal instead of eating junk . "Fruits , if possible , should be provided, so that we dont have to keep running off to nearby markets to buy them !" Proper seating arrangement is also important, and the canteen should, necessairly be, well ventilated. Good ambience and the inviting food tickles the taste buds of the one and sundry.


The primary reason why famished students still queue up in the canteen against their better judgements is because there aren't any better one's around. “Where else do we go when there are no canteens! We have an economical canteen that mints for being a monopoly! ” .With such exclamations coming from students all over Delhi, inspite of the eating area usually suffering either cleanliness or fresh food crisis, students end up having “no-other-option”. The consequeces result in food poisioning, vomitting, diarrohea, or even something as serious as typhoid. A no-win situation, eh?


It is sad that even though we are aware of the repercussions and that more than anyhting, it is our RIGHT to deserve good, healthy, clean food, we still turn a blind eye towards it.It’s time to rise and demand either cleanliness or infrastructure or demand a complete shut of a not properly functioning canteen. It’s hard but atleast it’s safe.Venkey college students complaint against the sad state of their canteen, which later got cleaned up on the Principles orders.


Regular inspection of the canteen staff should be done. It is, us, the students who need to be aware and active. We need to be able to speak up and speak out if we are denied something we deserve. Cliche's, one feels, is indespensible at times! "Prevention is better than cure", i say!

-dIKSHA gROVER & Aditi Sharma (written for DU Beat)