Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) on Sunday came under criticism from right-wing groups following its Humanities Department’s initiative to facilitate arrangements for Ramadan, the holy month of fasting in Islam.
However, students and faculty members have dismissed the allegations as baseless, emphasising that the campus upholds an inclusive and secular atmosphere where all religious festivals, including Diwali, Holi, and Ganesh Chaturthi, are celebrated with equal enthusiasm.
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Akshay Sawant, a representative of the Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a student collective at IIT-B, said, “Every festival is celebrated on our campus. There are several Hindu festivals and most of them including Holi, Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, are celebrated with much fervour. The allegations are baseless and merely an attempt to target the department’s liberal environment.”
The controversy erupted after an email was circulated within the institution regarding logistical arrangements for Sehri, the pre-dawn meal consumed by those observing the fast. The notice, sent by Ramadan 2025 volunteers, stated that students interested in availing of the meal services should register via a Google form. The arrangement, they clarified, was based on headcount requirements and was similar to provisions made in previous years.
Critics on social media claimed that while the department readily accommodates Ramadan, it had previously opposed the reservation of a few tables for vegetarian meals, branding it exclusionary and casteist. The allegations further suggested that students who protested the vegetarian table reservation had no objections to the provision of halal food, which adheres to Islamic dietary laws.
Despite the controversy, students and faculty maintain that IIT-B promotes religious inclusivity, ensuring that all communities have the opportunity to observe their traditions without discrimination. Officials are yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.
