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When Are We Getting Safer Campuses For Our Girls?

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The university is a place of learning where individuals aspire to grow by acquiring new skills and knowledge. Places of learning always strive to teach the basic requirement of equal opportunities and rights in the societal structure. While historians in our country always claimed to provide equal opportunities in the field of education for the women, in the current scenario it seems that we have gone backward instead of moving ahead. It’s always the women who have suffered due to harassment done by the male dominant societies. It is sometimes inside the closed doors which we call domestic violence, girls are harassed on streets several times and now it’s the university campuses which are no longer safer for women. How unfortunate it is that the places with the most intellectual minds are being attempted to spoil.

The incident that occurred in Varanasi is not a new case to us. There are several FIRs lodged in police stations where college girls have been sexually assaulted, touched unduly or harmed at public places. No matter whosoever’s fault it has been, it’s always women who have been attacked not only by the assailants but also by the ‘conservative’ society at large. A girl is always targeted for her clothing, decency and behavior in public. No matter if she has been harmed, it’s always her character which is questioned at the first place!

The protests at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) against increasing incidents of eve-teasing and molestation haven’t seemed to reach any conclusion. The university continued to choose to play safe by suspending all the hostellers residing in the campus. As the students’ protest turned violent over the incident of a girl being molested by three unidentified students last Thursday, police lathicharged the protestors. The university security men and the state police are now blaming each other for the action while the political parties are busy doing their part. It’s been reported that three city magistrates and two policemen have been suspended in connection with the lathicharge on the protesting students. The aggrieved girl said to the media that the security guards sitting at mere 100 meters from the spot where the incident happened, did nothing to stop it, nor even came to render help when asked for it by the girl. They are complicit in the incident.

The students have asked for justice to be done to the victim girl. BHU girls demand for improved security arrangement in the university campus, installation of CCTVs and street lights at the required check-posts, constitution of a security cell (GSCASH), 2487 helpline for women, and appointment of women security guards in women hostels as well. They have also demanded for relaxing curfew timings in girls’ hostels. Students have also demanded the suspension of the vice-chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi.

Though to a large extent it’s the fault of the head that he fails to manage the situation or provide justice to the victim, it’s the fault of the whole administrative staffs and the Centre who have always worked leniently when it came to the security of the female students. Though suspension of the VC seems a tenable demand, it should be ensured that girls should no more live in fear or under suppression.

The campus issue urgently requires to be resolved as it directly affects the society. Moreover, BHU academics are getting affected. It is putting a dent on the future of students. If the girls are not provided with proper justice, a protective father will never send his wards to colleges. There will be always a fear not only inside the girl’s mind, but also her parents. A society can only be expected to behave decently only when we turn out to be responsible and aware.

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