Down Memory Lane: The spice that canteens add to campus life
SOME memories never fade away. Indeed, they do not. And, when it comes to the canteens on the campus, we all have our very own, very, very special memories that refuse to rust with time, albeit they may lie dormant in the secluded corners of our hearts, and may gather some dust that need just a little prod to be brushed clean.
As this scribe talked to a cross section of AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) alumni based in Qatar, they were nearly unanimous on their most cherished spot on the campus the AMU Central Canteen
Says Dr Mosharraf Shamim, attending physician (consultant), Pediatric Critical Care, Sidra Medicine, Qatar: “The AMU Central Canteen has a special place in the heart of every ‘Alig’ alumni . It was a place we remember for some of the best gossips, random talks et al. The canteen was the best place to meet new people from all over the campus seniors, juniors, the new batch, the old ones.”
The talk then veers to the canteen’s food and one is reminded of the famous saying, that if you were return to the AMU canteen after, let’s say, a few decades, the food there will taste exactly the same. Agrees Dr Shamim: “Yes, the food there used to be monotonous but the gossips, friends and the general bonhomie used to add spice to its bland taste.”
However, Abdul Salam Sheikh, head of Indian Subcontinent Markets at Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZ), politely disagrees, as he says: “The AMU Central Canteen was the preferred place to satisfy our food craving. The puri-sabzi, samosa, bread pakoda, patty, pastry, kala jaam, etc. were the preferred items.”
But, says Dr Shamim, reiterating the centrality of the canteen, “canteens help to build the best memories of your college life ”
The AMU canteen, incidentally, is located in an area that houses most of the faculties, like the departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Arts etc. The other faculties, too, are not very far.
Abdul Salam can’t agree more on this, as he says: “For us, the AMU Central Canteen was a hub for hanging out with friends and informal debates and discussions on multiple issues including politics, social issues as well as about the AMU campus itself.”