Students protest as Xavier’s puts CCTV cameras in hostel
Vikrant Dadawala and Arita Sarkar
The cameras are to prevent students from going to each other’s rooms after the 10 pm deadline. Miffed students say now they meet only in toilets.
Over half the number of students put up at St Xavier’s College hostel have protested the installation of surveillance cameras in corridors and staircases of the premises, thereby ensuring they do not leave their rooms after 10 pm. The college installed six CCTV cameras in the boys’ hostel a little over a week ago. This struck a note of panic among students who protested the “infringement of privacy” in a letter to hostel superintendent, Agnelo Menezes, on Tuesday.
Though unhappy for long with rules that prohibit them visiting each other’s rooms after 10 pm, it was the installation of the CCTV cameras that prompted the protest. The students said they were shocked to wake up one morning and find wiring for the installation of the CCTV cameras being done.
“The students have started using the bathroom as a meeting point, since it is the only permissible spot,” said one student. “We can’t even watch a movie on low volume on our laptops, or have a meal together. On Monday, seven students were playing counter strike (a computer game) on mute without making any noise. But the warden found out and confiscated their ID cards,” he said.
Another student rued that with them being prevented from visiting each other’s rooms at night, their customary midnight birthday celebrations is now out of the question.
Students say that the allotment of rooms is based on behaviour, attendance and marks. “If our marks and attendances are fine, what’s the problem? They expect us to behave like priests or scholars, not students. They should respect the fact that we’re adults who can manage our studies,” said yet another student, who also complained that they were not consulted or informed about the setting up of the cameras.
The students say the rules at Xavier’s are unnecessarily stringent, and point out that at IIT-B and TISS students are not prohibited from visiting rooms of other students of the same gender at night. “We will obey silent zone norms, but it is too strict not to allow us to visit rooms of each other,” a student said. “The cameras are being used to monitor our movements, which is quite unnecessary.”
Abir Dasgupta, a former hostel inmate, said this rule is a recent addition. “There was no such rule two years ago. As long as you didn’t make a noise, you were free to go about anywhere you liked within the hostel premises. I would have been very upset if such as rule was enforced when I was a student.”
When contacted, Fr Mascarenhas said, “In the past, students said they would rather sleep or study at nights. But when students congregate, they tend to make a noise and disturb others, therefore we came up with this norm.” He said he hadn’t received the letter yet and will address the issue when he does.
The cameras are to prevent students from going to each other’s rooms after the 10 pm deadline. Miffed students say now they meet only in toilets.
Over half the number of students put up at St Xavier’s College hostel have protested the installation of surveillance cameras in corridors and staircases of the premises, thereby ensuring they do not leave their rooms after 10 pm. The college installed six CCTV cameras in the boys’ hostel a little over a week ago. This struck a note of panic among students who protested the “infringement of privacy” in a letter to hostel superintendent, Agnelo Menezes, on Tuesday.
Sources said the letter, which bears the signatures of 34 of the hostel’s 60 residents, has been forwarded to Principal Fr Frazer Mascarenhas.
Though unhappy for long with rules that prohibit them visiting each other’s rooms after 10 pm, it was the installation of the CCTV cameras that prompted the protest. The students said they were shocked to wake up one morning and find wiring for the installation of the CCTV cameras being done.
“The students have started using the bathroom as a meeting point, since it is the only permissible spot,” said one student. “We can’t even watch a movie on low volume on our laptops, or have a meal together. On Monday, seven students were playing counter strike (a computer game) on mute without making any noise. But the warden found out and confiscated their ID cards,” he said.
Another student rued that with them being prevented from visiting each other’s rooms at night, their customary midnight birthday celebrations is now out of the question.
Students say that the allotment of rooms is based on behaviour, attendance and marks. “If our marks and attendances are fine, what’s the problem? They expect us to behave like priests or scholars, not students. They should respect the fact that we’re adults who can manage our studies,” said yet another student, who also complained that they were not consulted or informed about the setting up of the cameras.
The students say the rules at Xavier’s are unnecessarily stringent, and point out that at IIT-B and TISS students are not prohibited from visiting rooms of other students of the same gender at night. “We will obey silent zone norms, but it is too strict not to allow us to visit rooms of each other,” a student said. “The cameras are being used to monitor our movements, which is quite unnecessary.”
Abir Dasgupta, a former hostel inmate, said this rule is a recent addition. “There was no such rule two years ago. As long as you didn’t make a noise, you were free to go about anywhere you liked within the hostel premises. I would have been very upset if such as rule was enforced when I was a student.”
When contacted, Fr Mascarenhas said, “In the past, students said they would rather sleep or study at nights. But when students congregate, they tend to make a noise and disturb others, therefore we came up with this norm.” He said he hadn’t received the letter yet and will address the issue when he does.
