Besides getting a good education, expanding your cultural
knowledge is an important part of the college experience.
That is, college isn’t just about learning facts in
lecture; it’s about meeting people and learning about
different cultures and viewpoints. From booze-fueled social
gatherings to ranting Bruin Walk preachers to culture-specific
programs and performances, UCLA provides many opportunities outside
of the classroom for students to meet interesting people with
interesting things to say.
This is an important part of developing one’s self-concept
““ drawing from the philosophies of others to form your own
beliefs.
Last week, when Nama Kirtan das, a monk of the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness, was barred from selling food on
campus, UCLA lost an important facet of its diversity. Nama Kirtan
das had been serving vegetarian Indian cuisine to students every
Monday and Tuesday for the past three years as a part of the Bhakti
Yoga Club, a student group. On Jan. 25, the Daily Bruin published
an article about Nama Kirtan das and his food program, and I was
glad to see some attention being given to this obscure eatery and
the interesting spiritual beliefs of those who ran it.
I assumed that more people would begin to frequent the place and
perhaps even learn something new. I certainly never thought he
would be kicked off campus, and certainly not because of a Daily
Bruin article.
In a phone interview, Nama Kirtan das told me that he
didn’t blame The Bruin, but he did note, “None of us
thought this would happen.” It’s a shame that an
article, meant to shed light on a little-known cultural experience,
ended up destroying it.
After the article ran, Steve Fuller, Environmental Health
Program manager for UCLA Environment, Health & Safety, alerted
the administration that the Bhakti Yoga Club is not allowed to
serve food on campus more than four times per year.
The result was that Nama Kirtan das was asked to discontinue his
campus food sales from his secluded spot behind the Charles E.
Young Research Library.
Of course, these rules are in place for a reason. The
administration wants to make sure that all food served on campus is
safely prepared and adheres to all health codes.
Nama Kirtan das stressed the fact that all his food was prepared
in the Krishna restaurant off Venice Boulevard, which is
“professionally managed and approved by the health department
with an A rating.”
He is not upset with the recent turn of events, noting that both
he and the administration have the students’ well-being in
mind. “We really have a common interest,” Nama Kirtan
das said. “That is, the betterment of the
students.”
In the spirit of diversity, people like Nama Kirtan das are a
valuable part of our campus. He never tried to push his faith on
others, but instead set up an information table where students
could browse pamphlets and ask questions if interested. He offered
interested students “some knowledge about (his) faith, along
with a nice, healthy vegetarian lunch,” something that can be
hard to find on campus. The food Nama Kirtan das served was a
departure from the other options on campus.
While UCLA has quite a few eateries for students to choose from,
it’s easy to get tired of eating at Rubio’s, Panda
Express and Sbarro every week. Vegetarians have even fewer options
on campus. Nama Kirtan das offered students a healthy alternative
to the standard campus fare.
Nama Kirtan das was not doing anything blatantly illegal or
dangerous, and he wasn’t even making any money. He told me
the whole food-serving program was set up for the club, not for
profit, and at $4 for an all-you-can-eat plate, I can’t see
how much money could have possibly been made. The fact that he got
kicked off campus is unfortunate, but who is to blame?
Nama Kirtan das may have been trying too hard to get the word
out about his food and his faith, and by speaking to the press, he
set the legal ball rolling.
I agree that a rule was broken, and if anyone is to blame, it is
Nama Kirtan das himself for not taking the appropriate steps for
legal food sales. In this case, it would have been nice if the
administration could have turned a blind eye on the apparently
illegal operations, but once the article was written, there
wasn’t much anyone could do.
Despite these recent problems, Nama Kirtan das remains
optimistic. He noted, “I would hope that in some way, the
members of my club could work with the administration to continue a
program like this.”
If the Krishnas and their food are allowed to return to campus
and play by the rules, the UCLA community would benefit from the
food as well as the faith. Nama Kirtan das said, “By having
the Hare Krishna faith there, students have the opportunity to
learn about something new,” and I agree.
While I don’t necessarily support the Krishna faith, I
don’t oppose it either. I do think it is important for
college-age students to be exposed to many beliefs in order to
develop informed opinions of their own.
Not only was Nama Kirtan das adding to the culinary options on
campus, but he also added a bit of cultural diversity, something
that UCLA should value.