Call to implement Samagati report

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was a unified call for the implementation of Samagati Report: the contested terrain of gender equality in campuses of Kerala in the panel discussion held here on Friday. Organized by MIND Charitable Trust in association with Break the Curfew discussion forum, the discussion was attended by activists, representatives of students' unions and students from various colleges.
Centre for Development Studies associate professor J Devika, who was one of the panel members, said that by being oppressed nothing can be achieved. "We need to speak up if any rules and regulation are effecting our efficiency. Form committees and conduct discussion on your issues and let others also present theirs. The issue can be brought up to the authorities with a collective group," said Devika.
The members of Break the Curfew discussion forum contacted MLAs for mobilizing their support for the campaign and have received positive response from some of them.
The panel discussion was followed by an open forum, in which students from various colleges in the city spoke about gender discrimination in the college campus and hostels. While Bhavana, a second year student at Govt College for Women spoke about the abusive words used by the security guard of their college, Sucheta Sankar pointed out the demerits of semester system introduced in the university, which according to her not only results in physical abuse of students but also emotional torture.
C H Jayasree, research officer at Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) spoke about the history of the report and how it was formulated by Dr Meenakshi Gopinath, director of Women in Security Conflict Management and Peace (Wiscomp) in October. National president of Samajwadi Janaparishad Joshi Jacob, member of All India Students Association Jamsheena Abdul and general secretary Niyaas B also expressed solidarity to the cause.