Campus corner

For the love of Samosas

By Zehra Dada

Zehra is a student at the LUMS university in lahore and an economics and political science major.

“What? Even the samosa costs Rs. 5 more now? Honestly, they should just be sued.” This and other such sentences are the only thing floating around in the conversations of the students of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) these days. The constant, heated debate has been precipitated by the dramatic rise in prices by the university’s only cafeteria, the Pepsi Dining Centre (PDC). It is this move that has resulted in most of the students going revolutionary on the university’s rear end.

The administration on the other hand, appears doe eyed and innocent claiming that the rise in prices was inevitable given the rampant food inflation in the entire nation. And frankly speaking, they are absolutely right. Rs. 50 does not quite cover the price of a sandwich that contains not only a whole slice of cheese but a slice of cucumber and, upon that, a single slice of tomato! The rise of Rs. 10 was absolutely necessary. In fact, they should probably stop serving such luxurious food; we are a third world nation after all.

If one thinks about it rationally, the students are being absolutely unreasonable. There are many points when they take things too far. Asking for cold water in the PDC water dispensers just because it’s boiling hot outside? Preposterous! And some say that increased prices have resulted in lentils with bread being the only affordable food left for the less fortunate students. What exactly do they want the administration to do about that? Didn’t Marie Antoinette make herself clear when she stated that if they can’t eat bread, let them eat cake?

After much deliberation, the only explanation is that like all other problems in our country, the government is to blame for this one as well. It’s this democracy that they have given us. It gives the common student power to demand useless things, like tissues with their food. Not only that, but some students also had an issue with the fact that the cashiers at PDC refuse to give them change unless it’s greater than the amount of Rs. 10. I mean who gives coins anymore, that’s such a stone-age thing to do.

The freedom of speech given by democracy is a major problem as well. One student actually suggested that if McDonalds can offer its customers a burger and a drink in a clean and air conditioned environment for Rs. 110 and still make a profit, how come PDC offers the same, without the taste and environment, in Rs. 150? I mean, who even cares about McDonalds? It’s just some multinational million dollar food chain that rules the fast food kingdom? It can’t possibly match PDC. It’s true; the young generation really doesn’t know what it’s talking about.

This rebellion against PDC was taken a step further when the students organized a “Boycott PDC Day” when it was decided that no student would eat anything from PDC for an entire day. About 50% of the student body complied with this boycott, and sales remained low that day. Again, democracy is to blame. Giving the unreasonable and irrational youth the ability to carry out such motions, this democracy will be the death of this nation. So what if everyone complains that youngsters these days have no value of money and are just interested in spending it as fast as they can. This concern they are showing over the increased prices is probably not real, in fact it is most definitely just another one of their attention seeking stunts. They can’t possibly be worried that their parents will have to increase their allowance due to this, in addition to the high priced tuition they are already funding.

What am I talking about anyway? So what if I am one of the students having to pay through their noses for everyday food? Being just another stupid member of the young generation who only cares about how I look, and is busy with “that facebook” all the time, I should learn how to keep my opinions to myself!