It started with a disagreement over heating Indian food, palak paneer to be precise, at a university microwave and soon spiralled into a life altering incident for two Indian doctoral students in the United States. Aditya Prakash and his partner Urmi Bhattacheryya have permanently returned to India after a two year long legal battle over alleged ‘food racism’ that Prakash faced at the University of Colorado Boulder.
On 5 September 2023, Aditya Prakash, who was a PhD scholar at the university’s Anthropology Department, was heating palak paneer at a university microwave. A staff member approached him, objected to the “pungent” smell, and asked Prakash not to use the microwave.
Prakash calmly refused the demand and stated that it was a shared space. He added that he was just heating his lunch and would leave once it was done. The staff member argued that even broccoli was not allowed to be heated because of the smell, but Prakash did not accept the argument and continued to heat his food.
What appeared to be a small incident led to a series of discriminatory actions by the university. According to Prakash, the university engaged in “escalating retaliation”. Not only him, but his partner Urmi Bhattacheryya, who was a teaching assistant at the university, also faced consequences after she invited Prakash to talk about what had happened in a class on ethnocentrism. Prakash did not take any names or mention details of the incident. Two days after the class, she lost her job without any explanation from the university.
The couple decided to file a lawsuit before the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. In their application, they alleged that after Prakash raised concerns over discriminatory treatment, the university engaged in “escalating retaliation”. They pointed to a departmental kitchen policy that allegedly had a disproportionate impact on South Asian students, making many uncomfortable opening their lunches in shared spaces.
Prakash further stated that he was repeatedly summoned by senior faculty. He was accused of making staff “feel unsafe” and was complained against before the Office of Student Conduct. Bhattacheryya pointed out that she not only lost her job but was also accused of “inciting a riot” when she and other students brought Indian food to campus. She says her complaints were dismissed.
Student support and broader context
The couple received support from 29 fellow Anthropology students, who criticised the department’s response and cited its own statement on systemic racism, arguing that diversity should be celebrated, not merely tolerated.
In September 2025, following a federal civil rights lawsuit, the university reached a settlement with Prakash and his partner Urmi Bhattacheryya, paying them $200,000 and awarding Master’s degrees. However, the couple was barred from any future enrolment or employment at the institution. The couple has now returned to India with no desire to go back to the US.
While the settlement closed the legal chapter, Prakash said in a statement that the larger goal remains accountability. “If this sends a message that such ‘food racism’ will be challenged, that would be the real victory,” he said.
