Parents object to notice over ban of non-veg food by school
Kolkata: The guardians of The New Town School have strongly protested against the decision of the authorities to not to allow non-vegetarian food inside the premises.
This comes at a time when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been stressing on the fact that the saffron party has been trying to control the food habits of the people of this state.
The school is affiliated with the CBSC Board. Recently, the school authorities have issued a notice banning non-vegetarian food inside its premises.
Banglar Pokkhe, a civil society group, has written to the principal of the school urging her to withdraw the order. In an email communique, the group wrote that 98.4 percent people in Bengal take non-vegetarian food after Andhra Pradesh.
"In Bengal, people take both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food for ages. There has never been any conflict between the two groups. The attempt to force the students to take vegetarian food is uncalled for," the letter said. It also added: "This affects the fundamental rights of the students as the Constitution guarantees choice of food." The guardians were shocked to receive such a notice asking them not to give any non-vegetarian food to their children. "We enjoy vegetarian food but a blanket ban on non-vegetarian food cannot be supported. This will unnecessarily divide the students into two groups and those taking non-vegetarian food will be looked down upon," said a parent on condition of anonymity.