No, there should definitely be no discrimination based on food habits. How can one be so unaccomodating?

It is like saying that if you don't like the AC in your office you should throw out people who do or get them to switch it off.

What is more, it is not even legal for a housing society to refuse someone just because of their food habits. I have been the secretary of my housing society for many years and I don't think it is possible for any society to make such rules.

Some societies go to great lengths to protect their sensibilities. There have been instances wherein the residents of a society would convince a flat owner not to sell the flat to a non-vegetarian or someone from another community.

I personally know of a predominantly vegetarian society which had two non-vegetarian residents.

The vegetarians of this society got a broker to offer the non-vegetarian residents one or two lakh above the market price and bought off their flats. So, now you know what extent some people can go to.

In my housing society, we have people with varied food habits. There are residents who are pure vegetarians and also people who eat beef and meat. I do not prefer meat and beef, but I certainly cannot force my preferences on someone else.

Discrimination of any kind is wrong. More so when it is over something as trivial as food habits. In a housing society, it is necessary to try and be more accommodating of your neighbour's preferences.

In this regard, I feel non-vegetarians must also follow some basic measures like proper waste disposal. I often find people throwing eggshells etc, in their compound which is not acceptable.

As long as non-vegetarians cook in their own kitchen and dispose the garbage properly, there shouln't be a problem.

Dinesh Patel is a resident of Eksar Road and a member of the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Natya Parishad. He spoke to Shalini Seth.