PUTA, PUCASH raise women safety issue

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 13

Sparking a discussion on the issue of a journalist being molested at Panjab University’s Botanical Garden, PUTA president Prof Rajesh Gill and PUCASH member Prof Rajat Sandhir raised concern over the “security glitches” during a Syndicate meeting here today.

Soon after, PU Vice-Chancellor Prof Raj Kumar read out his statement, Prof Gill raked up the issue and questioned the authorities on the preventive measures undertaken by the PU post the incident. “I wanted to know what Panjab University had done about the recent incident of molestation, as it reflects poorly on the PU’s safety standards, especially for women. I was told that a committee has been formed to look into the matter,” said Gill. While Prof Kumar assured her of an action, stating that a detailed report was being prepared by a committee chaired by Registrar Prof Karamjeet Singh. The remaining part of the discussion was pushed to the ‘zero hour’, which is slotted at the end of the meeting after the agenda items are resolved.

Pressing on the issue and reiterating that the journalist’s case was the second incident that earned Panjab University a bad name for its lackadaisical approach towards handling women safety issues, Prof Sandhir seconded Prof Gill’s concern during the zero hour. He brought to the VC’s notice an incident of a similar nature that transpired at the Botanical Garden only a year ago. “At that time, PUCASH had prepared a list of recommendations and handed them over to the Registrar. The recommendations included increasing the height of the garden’s wall, stationing a security guard on a permanent basis at the garden, installing CCTV cameras and maintaining an entry/exit register for visitors,” he recounted.

Prof Gill again inquired about the university’s course of action, especially on increasing the garden’s boundary wall’s height. Sources said the Registrar responded that the wall’s height was decreased because of constant recarpeting of the road that runs along it. Then, Prof SK Sharma asked for moving cameras to be installed at the garden. Adding to the discussion and praising the journalist’s bravery for fighting with the molester, Syndic Ashok Goyal said: “If this can happen to a middle-aged woman, who was at the park for her morning walk, I can only imagine the risk that younger girls, who are students at the PU, must be facing. I respect the mettle of the journalist who fought the rogue so gallantly.”

Though Goyal’s opinion on the journalist’s fight-back disposition was endorsed by all Syndics at the meeting, the fate of women safety still hangs fire at the mercy of the committee’s broodings over the matter.