Govt seems endorsing Barmulla Degree College diktat to students in name of discipline

2 mins read
DB

Srinagar, August 14: Authorities of Higher Education Department seem to be endorsing the restrictive measures for the students by the administration of Baramulla Degree College in the name of discipline.
Government Degree College Baramulla has issued a detailed list of do’s and don’ts for its students in an attempt to control everything from their dress to their conduct within the campus.
Despite the diktat has come under criticism from the students and civil society, the authorities of Higher Education instead addressing the issue seem endorsing the directives of the college authorities.
Commissioner Secretary Higher Education Sarita Chauhan refused to comment on the issue.” College authorities might have issued directives but I don’t know neither I want to talk,” she said.
Under Secretary Higher Education Irfan Manzoor said that advisory has been issued by disciplinary committee of the college.
“They look into it. Administration has nothing to do with it,” he said.
Director Colleges Zahoor Chat said that advisory has been issued by college authorities. “You better talk to principal. This is good if directives have been issued for maintaining discipline in the college,” he said.
Earlier, Principal of the college, Prof Fazl Rahem Beigh, said it was to “maintain discipline” in the campus.
“The institution wants better control over students. These directives are to prevent the students from crossing their limits,” Beigh said.
He admitted that bags of female students were being frisked.
“The female staff checks their bags occasionally. We don’t want that students should use phones in the campus. These steps are being taken for the benefit of the students,” he said.
The college authorities have issued diktat that possession and use of any mobile phone, electronic devices, head phones, pager, bluetooth devices is strictly prohibited in the college. “The discipline committee shall seize cell-phones from students and initiate proper discipline procedure,” reads the order issued to the students.
The diktat even gives the college staff the power to frisk the bags of students, including of females, to check for “objectionable objects”.
“Girl students are directed not to carry any irrelevant stuff in their bags otherwise the objectionable stuff shall be seized by the female disciplinary squad after proper frisking of their bags,” it reads.
At the start to this academic session, the college was one among the many institutions in north Kashmir protesting against the killing of civilians at the hands of government forces.
The diktat has attracted a sharp criticism especially from the girls.
Kashmir Women’s Collective, a group that highlights women’s issues, has posted on its Facebook page, calling the “disgusting diktats” a “victimization and stereotyping” of the youth especially girls.
Reacting to it, Maliha Zainab wrote on FB, “I can absolutely empathize with such students. Our society has degraded education to such an extent that it is no more about learning. I wonder how such squads even come up… But then I suppose morality policing is another custom here in Kashmir and people mostly feel they have a responsibility to correct others.”
A 2nd year student girl student in the college said they were now being frisked by the authorities before entry into the campus.
“Our bags are being checked. Students do not carry any stuff that can be a threat to the college. You will find that nowhere?” she student, wishing not to be named for fear of reprisal.
Another girl student, of 1st year, said that frisking college students was a “breach of privacy”.
“We don’t even carry comb or lipstick in our bags. We don’t want to face the humiliation of college authorities,” she said.
She added: “Everyone knows the situation in Kashmir. Our families always remain worried whether we reached safely to the college, but we are not even allowed to carry the mobile phone, which is necessity in today’s times.”

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