KOCHI: The diktat passed by the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College regarding the dress code sent a ripple among the student community in the city. The ban on western attire and noisy comes in wake of the complaints made by the patients and their bystanders. The students have come out as one against the rule which they term as being an archaic one.
Kochi has a lot to say on this incident. From uniforms to dress codes, the colleges in the city are no stranger to these sort of issues. Aparna, an ex student of Amrita college, Kochi, said, “Uniforms are mandatory in our college. Once in a week we can wear civil dress. But restrictions such as no jeans and leggings are in place. Shawls are a must.” This is one of the many stories which coincides with the situation now faced by the medicos in Thiruvananthapuram.
There are, however, colleges which do not impose these restrictions on their campuses. The students of such colleges open up as to why such a rule is not feasible today. Amulya M, a student of St Theresa’s College, voices her view. “Just by wearing salwar and dupatta one doesn’t become modest.
The attire might be very uncomfortable for the person wearing it,” she says. Kiran Raj of Maharaja’s college said, “Just because we have a dress code in college doesn’t mean it is followed once we step outside the campus.” Imposing such a restriction goes against freedom of expression. The definition of modesty and vulgarity is yet to be defined in the minds of the people. “Everything depends upon how we carry what we wear. At the end of the day confidence is the defining element,” says Shilpa Santhosh of Maharaja’s college.