Hyderabad: Biryani, seekh kabab, boti kabab and tala hua gosht will be served at the beef festival in Osmania University on December 10.
The university administration, police and the court have denied permission for the festival. Organizers on Tuesday appealed against Monday's court decision, which had ordered status quo until the next hearing on December 21.
Mr Mussavir Mohammad, one of the organisers of the beef festival said, “We hope that the court will give a decision to allow the beef festival. If not, we will appeal in the High Court. Whatever the court's ruling, we will conduct the beef festival on December 10.”
An exhibition of the food items to be served during the festival was also conducted on Tuesday in the university. Meanwhile the organizers of the pork festival too hardened their stand and said that it would be conducted on the same day and at the same venue, near Arts College.
Mr Solanki Srinivas, one of the organisers of the pork festival said, “We are sure about conducting the pork festival on December 10 and from this year it will be an annual event in the university.”
Teachers oppose fest in University
Osmania University teachers are against any meat festival being held on the campus. On Tuesday, the OU Teachers Association said the beef and pork festivals planned by student organisations on December 10 could tarnish the university's image and aggravate inter-community tensions.
Outa president Prof. Battu Satyanarayana said, "Instead of conducting beef or pork festivals, students should focus on achieving excellence in their academic endeavours. These festivals are in no way concerned with academics. Food is a matter of personal choice and there is no need to celebrate it in the public sphere, especially in a university if they might harm sentiments of those without these food habits. They will also creates a bad image of the university, which might even hurt employability of the university candidates."
On other issues, Outa criticised the government for proposing to pass the private universities Bill. The association said the government should focus on state-run universities first.
