Alumni of the prestigious St Stephen's college of Delhi University have threatened to boycott the alumni meet if an eatery in the institution's premises is not reopened.
The alumni meet is going to be held in October this year while the eatery that the alumni demand to be reopened was closed down in February.
Dhaba owner 65-year-old Rohtas was loved by generations of Stephen’s alumni and students for his delicacies of samosas and gulab jamuns which he sold at an eatery on campus. While Rohtas died in February due to prolonged diseases of tuberculosis and pneumonia, the college administration decided to close down the dhaba where he served the famous Indian fast food at the campus premises.
"College Dhaba is an institution. It was closed after Rohtas passed away in February. The alumni not only organised a condolence meeting for him but also requested the administration to re-open the dhaba. However, it remains closed till date," a statement from Association of Old Stephanians, an alumni group not officially recognised by the college said on Saturday.
"The principal has invited all the alumni for a get together on October 8 and we have decided not to go if the dhaba is not reopened," the statement added. Rohtas' association with the college started in 1922 when his grandfather, Sukhiya, started selling some food items.
Rohtas followed his father's footsteps and became a family figure for several students and teachers. In the last few years, his son Sushil helped him at the dhaba. However, Sushil is jobless presently with the family run dhaba having been closed by the authorities. The teacher and the student community of the college have in past also drafted petitions, requesting the administration to allow the reopening of the dhaba.
Delhi University's North campus is known for long running eateries inside its college premises.