Delhi: Meat causes ‘irreligious feelings’, let’s have ‘sattwik mess’, says IIT club
Saurabh Dhabu, a core member of the Wellness Club, claimed the idea came after some students complained about the mess food being provided at present.

The Wellness Club of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) has pitched for starting a ‘Sattwik Mess’ on campus. In an email to students seeking their opinion, members of the club said ‘Rajasik food’ like eggs and meat creates “irreligious feelings” and should be avoided.
The club, comprising only of students, sent an email to all students on February 28 “to take opinion on having a common mess for girls and boys which would serve ‘Sattwik Food’.”
“There’s the famous saying in ayurvedic sciences: ‘What we eat, how much we eat, and how we eat determines our way of life’. Tamasik diet is a foundation of pessimism and leads to a painful life…fast foods like pizzas, pastries, burgers, etc is Tamasik whereas Rajasik foods like eggs, meat, pepper, create egotism, anger, greed, and other irreligious feelings ,” the email read.
“Sattwik diet leads to a healthy life, keeping our minds clear, happy, and at peace. Consuming Sattwik food like fresh juicy fruits, vegetables, sprouted beans etc can lead the person to have the ideal combination of physical, mental and emotional harmony. Keeping the above in mind, Wellness Club wants to take the initiative of having one such mess in campus that would provide healthy Sattwik bhojan to interested students,” it added. A form was attached with the email asking those interested to fill it.
Saurabh Dhabu, a core member of the Wellness Club, claimed the idea came after some students complained about the mess food currently provided. “Some people said they find it very heavy on spices, and some others, like Jains, have a problem eating certain kinds of food so we thought Sattwik food would be good for them too. We read research papers before putting out that email,” he said. Dhabu added that of the nearly 500 forms filled, 19% had sent “negative responses” and the club was still discussing whether to take the initiative further and approach the administration.
When contacted, an IIT official said “there are no plans” to start such a mess.