On January 19, several students from the student organisation wore shorts and protested what they called as a ‘Talibani dictat’.
Female students from the city marked the International Women’s Day on Wednesday by asserting their rights in two major educational institutes of the city — the University of Mumbai and SNDT Women’s University.
Vidyarthi Bharti, a students’ organisation, along with a few students from the SNDT University, protested outside the institute’s Fort campus demanding reversal of a circular issued by the Vice Chancellor asking women to dress decently on December 6, 2016. Students said that despite several requests, the circular is still not revoked. “The university is trying to impose unnecessary restrictions by asking us to wear formal and decent clothes. The circular nowhere mentions what is decent though,” said an Arts student from the institute.
On January 19, several students from the student organisation wore shorts and protested what they called as a ‘Talibani dictat’. Vijeta Bhonkar, state president of Vidyarthi Bharti, said: “We were told by university officials that there would be a response to our previous protests against their moral policing, but till date there is no word from their side. We decided to give the officials roses and have asked them to get well soon. If they do not revoke the circular, we would launch a stronger protest,” said Bhonkar. Despite repeated calls, SNDT VC Shashikala Vanjari could not be reached for a comment.
At the University of Mumbai’s Kalina campus, several female students who stay in the university hostels were preparing to celebrate their recent victory. The university on Monday issued a circular allowing its female students access to 24x7 library facility. Female students from the university had protested at the campus in the month of February demanding the curfew of 11pm for hostels to be lifted so that they can access the campus library 24/7 like their male counterparts.
On Wednesday night, the female students took out a victory march in the Kalina campus. “We have been fighting for equal access for a long time now. The university had earlier tried to reason that female students can sit in their hostels and study, which was extremely unfair. We are happy that the university has finally taken a stand, and we would continue claiming our space,” said an M.Phil scholar from the university.
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