Girl and boy asked to leave Chennai college for 'talking' to each other

By Ashmita Gupta  |  Express News Service  |   Published: 03rd May 2017 03:32 AM  |  

Last Updated: 03rd May 2017 03:32 AM  |   

Image for representational purpose only.

CHENNAI: A few months ago, a girl and boy studying in a private engineering college in the city were issued transfer certificates and forced to leave the college. Their crime was talking to one another. Even the slightest restrictions imposed on students in institutes like the IIT become news headlines and are widely debated. But away from the spotlight, many private engineering colleges in and around Chennai have imposed archaic restrictions that make it a crime to even talk to a classmate of the opposite gender.

“Their parents were humiliated by the principal. He asked the parents if they are sending their children to colleges to romance,” says a friend of the unfortunate students. The duo was subsequently prevented from appearing for semester exams and eventually forced to shift to another college.

This was an extreme case since the college management found out that the boy and girl were in a relationship. Other crimes as per the rules of some colleges include even inadvertently helping a student from the opposite gender like sharing a water bottle or returning a pen or pencil.

“My friend’s water bottle fell down during class hours and a girl picked up and returned it to him. Soon enough, a staff member asked her not to stare at boys,” states S Ashokan*, a student of the same college. A few colleges have ‘floor supervisors’ whose task is to monitor students and single out those who break the rule. Not just in the campus, such staff are also assigned to college buses to inform the respective departmental heads if boys and girls are found talking to each other.

“If we pass a pen to a boy, then it is a crime. Once a boy asked for water and my friend passed the bottle. The supervisors asked why she is talking to him and whether he is her brother or some relation,” says K Aarthi*, a student at another college.

Unsurprisingly, Girls seem to have more restrictions than the boys. Some rules say that the dupatta must always be pinned. Forget jeans, even churidar leggings are a strict no-no. “If they feel we haven’t dressed as per their expectations, we are sent to the hostel or home,” adds Aarthi. Another common move is removing mirrors from the toilets so that girls don’t apply even basic makeup.

Some colleges have even stopped conducting cultural festivals as they found the students interact with opposite genders during such festival. “We only have a sports day. Even that is celebrated on two different days — one for boys and another for girls. Neither sex is allowed to be present for the opposing gender’s meet,” laments K Parthiban,* a student of another reputed college in the city.

In another well-known college, there are three separate sections in each department. One for boys, another for girls and a third for toppers with over 8.5 CGPA (cumulative grade point average). “They assume toppers are only concerned about studies and hence don’t talk to the opposite gender,” says T Sethuraman*,  a student at the college.

A few week ago, this college witnessed a protest and one of the issues raised by students was the rule barring them from interacting. “We’ve all studied in coeducational schools and, hence, wanted this rule to be abolished. We wrote a letter to the principal. But they ultimately decided to continue with the same,” adds Sethuraman.