On March 15, 2018, close to 600 students studying at the National Institute of Technology, Kannur took out a rally to express their anger at the increasing acts of sexual harassment committed by the locals against the students.
Here are a few powerful images from the rally:
A total of 46 students submitted their complaints to the college director last week. From stalking, groping, physical assault, sexual harassment, cyber bullying, to name a few, the students have been at the receiving end of the anti-social elements in the vicinity of the institution.
The students have been actively sharing their stories on social media using the hashtag #NIFTKannur and #ItHasToStop.
A student was quoted in a news report, saying, “There is acute moral policing within and outside the campus. We are subjected to lengthy questioning if we are spotted in clothes that are short or that the faculty feels is inappropriate. And, we are afraid to step out in clothes we like because there have been numerous instances of local men making sexual advances and even masturbating in front of girls.”
The officials at the nearest police station have requested the women students to “maintain certain discipline and not go outside alone at night”. Even within the institution, students have alleged that the administration and wardens were not taking their complaints seriously.
On being asked to comment on last week’s rally, the joint director of NIFT Kannur, G Ramesh Babu said, “We will now be installing six CCTV cameras in and around the campus, and street lights will be put by the local municipality outside. We, too, are concerned about the safety of our students, but even they need to wear appropriate, decent* clothes when they are outside the campus.”
*By decent clothes, Babu was referring to shorts, skirts and T-shirts.
Women students across the country continue to battle against regressive mindsets, and as a consequence, threats to their safety. The tendency to police students’ clothes, and impose curfews, seem like the only two ways college authorities know how to ensure safety for its students. It’s the need of the hour for colleges to take stronger and more concrete steps to ensure the safety of its students without restricting their mobility, and violating their freedoms.
It’s also important to note that it has been a week since the rally but only a few media organisations have reported the matter so far.
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