Women’s college students in Jammu protest against dress code

Jammu, August 22

Angry over bring forced to follow a dress code, hundreds of students of the Government Women’s College here on Tuesday boycotted their classes and staged protests against the management's "unnecessary diktats".

Shouting slogans and demanding immediate removal of the college principal, they also blocked the main road for nearly an hour soon after the institution opened at 9 am, the police said.

The blockade was removed after district and police officials rushed to the college at Parade, in the heart of the city, and pacified the protesters assuring them of appropriate action within 24 hours if their allegations were found true.

The protest, however, continued through the day despite assurances as the agitators accused the principal and teachers of harassing them on one pretext or the other.

"We are made to sit outside the class as punishment for not following a dress code, like not wearing a proper uniform and making two plaits. The students are deliberately failed in the class tests and even lewd remarks and abusive words are used against them," alleged the agitating students.

Additional District Development Commissioner Arum Manhas said the issues of removal of a peon at the main gate of the college and passing of lewd remarks came up during the discussion between the protesting students, the college management and district administration and police official.

"It was decided that the peon who is deployed at the main gate would be immediately removed. As far as the second allegations of passing of lewd remarks, there was no credible evidence, and the students were asked to lodge a written complaint with Sub-divisional Police Officer (North) Varun Jandiyal who was asked to probe the allegations and submit report within 24 hours," he said.

Meanwhile, on the allegations of harassment and high-handedness by the college management, Principal Anita Sudan said she had taken several decisions on the recommendations of the parents to ensure discipline in the institute.

"Four of our college girls had gone missing in the recent times and one of them was later recovered from Allahabad.

Parents of the girls regularly visit me and complain that they drop their wards outside the institute in the morning but they do not attend the college.

"I had asked the girls to come in proper uniform and called for strict enforcement of college timing. The students are levelling wild allegations," Sudan said.

She said no student had lodged any complaint about misbehaviour or passing of lewd remarks by anyone with her till date.

"When I came today and saw the students protesting, I called them to my chamber and asked them the reason. Some girls claimed that the guard at the main gate allegedly misbehaved with one of the girls but when I called him, they could not identify him," she claimed. — PTI