In way to express gratitude towards the man who paved way for the freedom of our country, Western Railways has come up with a unique idea. Paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation who was an apostle of vegetarianism which rooted into his doctrine of ahimsa, the Railways will not serve non-vegetarian food on October 2, 2019.
This is indeed a special year as it marks the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Last year as well, Indian Railways had announced a similar diktat, but due to the criticism from public, this order was revoked.
Assistant Commercial Manager F M Gaurav Jain of Ahmedabad division, Western Railways announced that, “The 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi is to be observed in a befitting manner from October 2, 2018 to October 2, 2020.
The board desires that 2nd October, 2019, should be celebrated as a totally vegetarian day, where no non-vegetarian food will be served anywhere on the Western Railway premises. All station masters are advised to follow these instructions and ensure that no non-vegetarian food is served at any catering unit at the stations.”
A part of Indian Railways, the Western Railways covers a wide region, which includes 939 trains that move through 510 railway stations. Moreover, Western railways covers around six divisions in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In fact, around on an average 43.95 lakh passengers use the western railways. As per the official declaration, the diktat will also extend to the licensed eateries and stalls on the railway stations. “Non veg food will also include eggs and all these foods will be banned on all premises of the Western Railway,” said the official.