Come, let’s check what we have for lunch today on our campus!”
A recent Instagram reel by an engineering student flashed the day’s spread at the hostel mess of a college in Kozhikode: Chicken Fry, Chicken 65, Fish Fry and Fish Curry, Al Fahm Mandi…
The post was soon flooded with comments from students and former students sharing their experiences with food on their campuses. Sadly, most said it was pathetic.
For many who commented, a thick sambar and the occasional chicken fry were enough to qualify as a feast.
But even as they joked about bland hostel food, there was a deeper concern about the unhygienic manner in which food often reaches their plates.
A recent incident highlighting these concerns occurred at the Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, where students at the Ladies’ Hostel have been protesting since Wednesday after allegedly being served “rotten chicken” for dinner the previous night.
“Similar incidents have happened in the past too,” says Anikha Rajesh, a third-year student at the college.
“We have spotted flies, ticks, stapler pins, sack threads and even bits of plastic in our food. But this time, the food was rotten. That’s why we staged a protest.”
Following the students’ strike, the college authorities carried out a deep cleaning of the hostel mess. However, within hours, students alleged they spotted a rat running around inside the kitchen.
Following the strike, the college authorities shifted classes online for a week and have agreed to resolve concerns flagged by the students.
Responding to the allegations, college principal Suresh K tells TNIE that a health squad that inspected the hostel did not find any grievous lapses on the part of the management.
“We, however, are yet to receive the results of the chicken sample collected from the hostel on the day the complaint surfaced,” he says.
“Other demands, such as thoroughly cleaning the hostel premises and installing nets to prevent pigeons from entering the hostel and damaging the food, will soon be addressed.”
Notably, complaints about hostel food have surfaced repeatedly across Thiruvananthapuram’s higher education institutions in recent years — ranging from allegations of food poisoning to reports of worms, centipedes and even a dead lizard being found in food.
This includes hostels at some of the city’s most sought-after engineering colleges, a prominent medical college, and even a new-age university offering courses tailored to a digitally driven era.
One of the most widely reported cases occurred in August last year at a top engineering college in the city. Hostelers raised complaints on three occasions within two weeks, claiming to have spotted worms and centipedes in food served at the mess.
Recalling the incident, engineering student Archana Sathyan says a strike launched at that time had a major impact. “Initially, though we informed faculty and hostel authorities about the issue, no action was initiated. However, following the protest, the food quality has seen a huge improvement,” she adds.
“New mess staff and even a new chef were appointed. Good-quality vegetables are used to prepare food now.”
While that sounds like a success story, usually whenever complaints are raised, the immediate response is often to shut down the mess temporarily. The alternative is to rely on outside food, which places an additional burden on students’ pockets.
The hostel mess at Government Engineering College, Barton Hill, charges C 75 per person for three meals a day, and rates at other government college hostels are similar.
Not all students come from financially well-off families and can afford to eat outside.
The question then is: “How can you be sure if the food you consume from outside is safe?” asks a student from Barton Hill who was part of the protesting group.
“So, simply shutting the mess and asking students to eat from outside is not necessarily a solution. So who is responsible for ensuring both safety and access?”
Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V V Rajesh points to the same dilemma. “Unlike shutting down restaurants that are found to be unhygienic, there are several practical problems when it comes to closing down a hostel mess. If the children are left without options for where to eat, what will they do?” he asks.
“However, if the situation is really nasty, we will instruct the authorities to shut it down. We do conduct checks. But the alternate solution is still a matter of concern.”
According to the food safety department, every functioning hostel mess should have a licence or registration with the department, along with a medical fitness certificate, water cleanliness certificate and mandatory health cards for everyone involved in cooking food.
Taking into account the severity of the recent complaint, the food safety department has decided to increase the frequency of inspections.
“Grave issues are not rampant these days,” says an official. “But if the issues are severe, we will ask them to shut down. We need to keep in mind a hotel is someone’s choice, but a hostel may not be like that.”
A mess may serve hundreds of students who have nowhere else to go and little room in their budgets for three outside meals a day. It is time authorities — both at colleges and within the government — ensure that the basics, at least, are in place.