‘Worms in idli, insects in chhole’: Hostel students protest at Jamia

Students at Jamia Millia Islamia’s Jammu and Kashmir Girls’ Hostel staged a protest over poor food quality, alleging the presence of glass shards in vegetable curry and insects in chhole. This was not the first time students had raised concerns about the hostel mess, as similar issues had been reported over the years, including rotten food, undercooked rice, and even glass in sabzi.

The incident occurred around the same time as the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting nearly 700 students. Tasleem Fathima, a law student and member of the hostel mess committee, demanded the termination of the mess contractor, promised immunity for protesters, and the deployment of women staff. The administration agreed to these demands, removing the contractor immediately.

However, students resumed the protest after electricity was shut down and they were allegedly manhandled. After a key meeting with administration, the protest was called off, with assurances that all demands had been met. University officials stated that regular monitoring of food quality would be conducted, female staff would serve food, and a committee would be formed to address hygiene concerns.