In BHU, girl students said that being seen with a male friend is frowned upon. In these hostels, late night conversations with “male friends” are dealt with strictly, and in some instances, girls’ mobile phones are confiscated. Kawalpreet Kaur, who gradua

As part of their agitation, the students claim they had managed 3,000 signatures from those who wanted the library to go back to its 24X7 schedule. Their list of demands also included a 24X7 secure bus service for girls in the University’s hostels, to allow the hostel girls to visit the library in the night too.

But the administration claimed that their demands were not justified – ‘why can’t they study till 11pm when the library is open’, they argued. About 20 days into the protest, nine students were suspended for two years. Three days later, at midnight, 14 protesting students were arrested, and later released on personal bonds.

“If girls are not allowed to participate in agitations, boys who do so are suspended for demanding their rights,” says a student who was part of the protests.

This issue of the students’ suspension was raised in the last Parliament session too, but students say nothing was done to revoke their suspension. The administration justified it on the grounds that the protests were “politically motivated” .

It’s 8.05pm, and as the girls rush to make it past the gates, Anvesha turns thoughtful and says, “It seems that the University doesn’t want us to think for ourselves. There’s no space for us to demand our rights, or express our opinion. We are simply required to read textbooks, and maybe, even act like robots.”