Madhya Pradesh: Madrasas refuse mid-day meals from 'Hindu' organisations in Ujjain

Over 30 madrasas in Ujjain have refused to accept mid-day meals for students, alleging it was an attempt to defile their faith. The mid-day meals come from the Iskcon Temple since 2010, which caterers to schools in the city. The madrasas' administration, however, has refused to accept food from Iskcon any longer.

Parents of Muslim students believe the trust used to offer the food to Hindu gods before sending them to schools, which is unacceptable to some. As Iskcon's tender came to an end in July 2016, suppliers BRK Foods and Ma Parvati Foods were roped in to provide the mid-day meals but madrasas declined to accept food from either of them. BRK supplies mid-day meals to 315 schools, of which 56 madrasas have turned down their offer.

Parents of the madrasa students have also threatened to stop their children from attending classes if the madrasas accept food from the present suppliers. They have demanded that meals be cooked in the madrasas instead of being brought from outside. However, when contacted, the official administration denied the reports saying madrasas rejected the meals as the students are used to a different kind of food. The matter is currently under examination.

-ANI