‘Deliberate attempt to curb our freedom’

Selfie row: Excellence in academics depend on willingness of students to study & not on enjoying college life

NEW DELHI: Women students of School of Open Learning (SOL) have been protesting against the issuance of the misogynistic circular by Miranda House, Delhi University authorities banning taking of selfies and combing hair in the college corridors.

The students have raised their voice against the issue earlier. They are not only forced to abide by the rule but also have to face misbehaviour by the college staff. “No one has the right to tell us what to do and what not. We are grown-ups and have full freedom to choose our actions,” said a student pursuing B.com from School of Open Learning. “The deliberate attempts by the college to curb our freedom need to stop,” she added. Students of SOL say that they are not always busy clicking pictures or modelling in the college corridors. They spend their leisure time once they are over with the classes. Instead of suppressing the freedom of women students and neglecting their problems, the college authorities should concentrate on their loss of studies caused due to the mismanaged academic calendar and infrastructural crunch. This matter has become a topic of discussion amongst students all around the campus. Students have taken this notice as some sort of a discrimination against them. “We anyway don’t have proper facilities. And now such rules are being imposed on us. This is discrimination as many of us come from lower middle class families.” A regular student of Miranda House supporting the SOL students against the anti-women rule framed by the college said that excellence in academics depend upon the strength and the willingness of the student to study.

Clicking selfies and enjoying a bit is part of college life and no one has the right to put a stop to it.