What I eat is my choice. No one has the right to impose their food preferences on me. Right to food and choice are basic rights. The way these food choices are being denied is horrible. Sadly the cost of standing up for this right is being assaulted. If this could happen at India’s premier university JNU, it could happen anywhere in this country. Sign my petition.

The dangerous trend of policing people’s food choices is gaining momentum in different parts of India. It has now reached my campus Jawaharlal Nehru University. It’s all over the news. Not to mention the fake news which has begun to do the rounds. 

Students from one group that was marking a festival with a puja bullied the mess staff of one hostel into not serving non-vegetarian food to students. This is not ok and reeks of an authoritarian, intolerant mindset.

Sign my petition asking the President of India Ramnath Kovind to take a stern view and condemn the food fascism spreading in hostel messes. Those found guilty of stopping the cooking and serving of non-vegetarian food should be expelled.

I am proud to be a student of such a public university that has produced some of the brightest minds in the country.

Ask any of our illustrious alumnae and they will tell you about our campus’ rich, decades-long history of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. Pujas and rituals to mark religious festivals of all communities have taken place while non-vegetarian food was being served in other parts of the campus. This violent intolerance is a more recent development and is growing unchecked.

Sign my petition. By asking the President of India to intervene, I am appealing for inclusiveness, diversity, democracy, secularism and peace to be upheld. If we disagree about anything, let’s debate using our words. Let’s not bully, arm-twist, beat up, slap, grope and sexually assault. 

This is not about food. This is not even about universities. This is about fighting intolerance, hate and communalism in India. If those of us who value inclusiveness, diversity, democracy, secularism and peace do not take a stand, such forces that want to police our food, clothing and other personal choices in our homes and public spaces will get emboldened and then nobody will be safe.

Sign and share to #StopFoodFascism