‘Sit separately? It’s sheer stupidity’

‘Sit separately? It’s sheer stupidity’
Boys, Girls Slam Bangalore University For Turning Moral Police

The Times of India

Bangalore: Girls and boys are outraged. Segregation is sheer stupidity, they chorus. Ridiculing the Bangalore University Syndicate’s move to make girls and boys sit separately in classrooms and to impose a dress code, both students and parents slammed it as retrograde.

While all boys and a majority of the girls said “no” to sitting separately and opposed the dress code on campus, some girls felt restrictions on attire are necessary to maintain sanctity of the university.
“Segregating boys and girls isn’t right. After all, we mingle with them outside class. It doesn’t make sense,” said Vishwas V, a II PU student.

Agreeing with Vishwas, Supreeta Padag, a final-year BE student, asked sarcastically: “Tomorrow, when I start working, can I tell my boss that I will not sit next to a guy because I am not used to it?’
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As for the dress code, an angry Mohammad Jabir, a III BE student, thundered: “If we’re not allowed to wear certain clothes at this age, when will we wear them?’’

Kangana Gupta, also an engineering student, said: “Dress code is really silly. Universities must recognise that education goes beyond what you wear, whom you sit next to or who you hang out with.’’

Vice-chancellors are equally upset. Former VC of Gulbarga varsity V B Coutinho felt the move goes against the spirit of higher education, while BU ex-VC M S Thimmappa said it is an insult to students’ intelligence. “It is a passing phase in life and there is no need to overreact to it.’’

Many students felt it is a question of mindset, be it the dress code or sitting next to a boy. Some girls felt it is not just boys, they have to be guarded against male lecturers too.

Parents felt it is like “going back in time”. The modern youth are responsible, specially at the PG level, they said. But their reaction to the dress code was guarded.

It was Abhinand Kalmath, a III BCom student, who hit the nail on the head. “Let BU concentrate on quality teaching, effective administration and declaring results on time.’’