SIGNATURE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE INSTALLATION OF GRILLS IN THE GIRLS' HOSTELS!!

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CONDEMN THE PATRIARCHAL ATTITUDE OF AUTHORITIES ! RESIST THE IRRATIONAL DECISION OF THE AUTHORITIES TO INSTALL GRILLS IN THE HOSTELS !!

Recently the administration of Panjab University issued quite a bizarre decree. To address the issue of rising suicides in the past few years, it has decided to install grills in the balconies of Girls’ Hostels. More weird is that the grills will be installed only in Girls’ Hostels, although there have been cases of suicides in Boys’ Hostels as well. 

Is grills installation a solution to suicides?

Perhaps the university authorities have gone insane! What will they do if someone hangs himself/herself or touches a live wire? Take off fans or cut off electricity supply...
 

Suicides don’t happen because there are no grills in the balconies of the girls’ hostels. The reasons are much more complex and are rooted in the socio-economic conditions which compel an individual to take such decisions. Instead of addressing these issues which affect the psychological situation of a person, the authorities are trying to run away from it by taking such decisions, like that of installing grills.

Moreover the fact that the decision has been taken for girls’ hostels only brings forth the discriminatory attitude of the authorities towards its girl students. The gender discrimination which is deep rooted in our society is also visible in the campus, sometimes covertly and sometimes overtly. It comes to the fore in varied forms be it in the form of eve-teasing and harassment. In the name of security they are locked up in the hostels before specified timings. Further there’s a very limited space for girls in the university to assert themselves and hardly do they influence the decision making in the university. And even to get their petty issues resolved, there is dependency on their male counterparts. Due to the prevailing patriarchy in the institution girls already have a very less scope for interaction. This decision is an expression of the same gender bias. The decision to install grills will serve to further isolate them and have a crippling effect on their psyche.

On the contrary to installing grills, the need is to address the root cause behind the issue. The discontent among youth is rising due to problems like unemployment, job insecurities etc. A student has been delivered to increasing burden of performance in academics, over busy academic schedules, cut-throat competition. Not only this, once s/he has completed studies, s/he is to be subjected to unemployment. Further rising individualism has reduced the scope for interaction and discourses between people, thus aggravating the situation. And when a student is in distress there is no active platform or body provided by the University for counselling. 

We appeal all the students to condemn and resist this irrational and anti-woman decision of the authorities. To end the prevailing discrimination against women we need to speak up against any such decisions. We need to come forward and unite to fight against any kind of discrimination and all kinds of anti-women ideologies and practices which prevail in our campus and our society.

PROTEST AGAINST THE PATRIARCHAL & IRRATIONAL DECISION OF AUTHORITIES TO INSTALL GRILLS IN GIRLS' HOSTEL

CONDEMN THE IRRATIONAL DECISION OF PU AUTHORITIES!!!

RISE AGAINST THE PATRIARCHAL ATTITUDE OF THE AUTHORITIES!!!

Students For Society (SFS) today protested against the decision of PU authorities to install grills in the girls' hostel. The university authorities, to address the issue of rising no. of suicides, have taken a decision to install grills in the balconies of girls’ hostels.  The decision is totally irrational and not at all justified. Installation of grills doesn’t seem to be a solution at all. Rather it will further confine an already distressed person.

Instead University needs to think of plausible solutions to the issue addressing the causes behind it.

 Discrimination and violence against girls does exist in the campus and comes to the fore in varied forms be it in the form of eve-teasing and harassment. Further in the name of security they are locked up in the hostels before specified timings. Due to the prevailing patriarchy in the institution girls already have a very less scope for interaction. This decision is an expression of the same gender bias. The decision to install grills will serve to further isolate them and subject them to suffocation.     

It is too ironical that the authorities are not trying to understand the psychological conditions of girl students and on the contrary girls are further being caged behind the grills. It is also a tragedy that PU does not try to follow democratic environment of DU or JNU for girls where they enjoy more freedom.

SFS leader Amandeep Kaur said, “The attitude of the authorities is anti-women. The decision is totally irrational as it will not solve the issue of rising number of suicides, on the contrary it will further confine an already distressed person to isolation. Already there is very limited space for girls; the decision will further have a crippling effect on their psyche.” 

SFS General Secretary Damanpreet said, “The discontent among students is rising, compelling them to take such unfortunate actions. The authorities need to address the cause behind the issue. We demand that active platform/bodies be formed to counsel the students. Also there is need to activate the eternally dormant women cell to address the issue of girl students.”

The decision has provoked resentment in the residents of the girls’ hostels. Students condemned the decision saying that the decision is not at all justified as a solution to address the issue of rising number of suicides in the university. The organization alleged that authorities, instead of addressing the causes behind the issue, are trying to escape from their responsibility by taking such irrational decisions.

We demand:

1.      The decision to install grills in the girls’ hostels should be revoked immediately.

2.      Proper platform/body should be made to address the grievances and counsel the students which would be active and work democratically.

3.      The eternally dormant “Women Cell” be made functional and “Sexual Harassment Committees” be formed which would act democratically with considerable participation of students.

4.      As eve-teasing is rampant on the campus, whose main reason is the long queue of cars roaming outside the girls’ hostels. The entry of four-wheelers should be banned, at least in the vicinity of the girls’ hostels.