THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There was loud music being played at 10 pm on Wednesday at the Karyavattom Campus, unlike other working days. The unusual activity was part of a one-day long campaign demanding equality for men and women at the Kerala University campus. The campaign was organised by the Kerala University Research Students Union. " There is a need for change. Four years ago, we fought against the system where the campus library used to close at 6 pm. The hostel curfew was set at 6.30 pm. Thankfully, in 2014, Kerala University passed a rule allowing students to use the library for 12 hours. However, even now the library closes around 8 pm. Students are also not allowed to walk freely around the campus after 9 pm. The rules are different for both genders which is sad," said Vishnu KP, chairman, Kerala University Research Students Union.
The event marked the launch of a campaign 'campus@24', which demands equal rules for men and women irrespective of gender and to extend working hours, providing flexible timings to use computer labs, research labs and library, similar to campuses at Central Universities. The event began with a free civil service orientation session, followed by an honouring ceremony for 25 students who have passed the UGC NET exam last year. P P Ajayakumar, pro-vice-chancellor, Kerala University inaugurated the function. While delivering the inaugural address he spoke about the importance of providing lab facilities for research students. "Foreign universities and even central universities follow the pattern of keeping the campus open throughout. It is important to provide access to the lab and library at odd hours for academic purposes," said Ajayakumar.
Lekshmi Prabha, vice-chairperson, Kerala University Research Students Union, presided over the function. "We are all research students. I have even seen my male classmates sleeping in the science lab at night. If that is acceptable, why can't we females use the lab after 8 pm?. Research oriented subjects need an extra amount of time in labs. It is a protest against the questioning towards our morality," informed Lekshmi.
'Chat with collector', a chat show was organised as part of the campaign. Collector K Vasuki spoke about the need for a green campus with zero waste environment. She also promoted the need for equal opportunities for both genders. A bookstall was set up near the campus library. A drama performed by the Kerala Police also received rave reviews. The college band 'Hymavati' also added to the festivities of the campaign.