By TCN Special Correspondent,
Ahmedabad: Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) and National Institute of Design (NID), both premier national institutions, have made arrangements of sehri (pre-dawn meal) and iftar for their Muslim wards. Having special menus for Ramzan, the canteens in both the institutions open around 3.30 a.m. to ensure that the students observing fast get the food of their choice at proper time.
According to IIMA officials, there are as many as 10 students observing fast. IIMA students mess secretary Mohit Garg told mediapersons that the students were served chicken Qeema with bread or pav, along with fruit, milk, sevaiyan and kheer for sehri.
An IIMA official said that since the mess is students managed, they run it as per their convenience. “It is their personal choice. The only thing is that they must inform the mess in-charge in advance”, said the official.
As the iftar timing in Ahmedabad and nearby areas is 7.30 p.m., Muslim students are given their dinner by 8 p.m., that is, immediately after they have completed their iftar and maghrib prayers. Students hold their prayers within the campus, either in congregation in one of the hostel rooms or individually, depending on their convenience.
One of the Muslim students said that the faculty at IIMA was very cooperative. “Even when we have classes around iftar time, we are allowed a small break for iftar and then we return to attend classes’’, said another Muslim student observing roza.
However, IIMA canteen also offers special food to Hindu students fasting during the ‘shravan’ month. They are particularly served fruit and non-cereal food, apart from milk, as only these types of food are allowed to those fasting during ‘shravan’.
The canteen at NID also opens at 3.30 am to serve the food to 20 Muslim students who are observing fast.
Both these institutions come directly under the central government’s management.
In contrast to this, Gujarat University having more than 35 Muslim students in its hostel has no facilities for sehri or iftar for its inmates. But these students observe fast by making their own arrangement as they buy food for sehri in the evening itself. As for iftar, they buy fruit and dates from outside and take dinner at regular timings with other students in the hostel which is around 8 p.m. They also attend taraveeh prayers in the mosque near Law Garden.
Likewise, St. Xaviers College hostel with more than two dozen Muslim students also does not have any arrangement for sehri or iftar for its Muslim wards.