Restrictions on women walking alone at night or stepping out of their hostels after 10 pm and curbing girl students from using libraries at night were some of the steps to prevent crimes against women, according to principal secretary, Department of Women and Child Development Ramesh B Zalki.
At a workshop on “Tackling the Menace of Crime Against Women” organised at the M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology by the All India Council for Technological Education (AICTE) attended by students from colleges across the city, Zalki said, “Even if there are protests, the management should act as a strict policeman.”
He also suggested that CCTVs be installed on campuses and registers be maintained at the entry and exit points of the campus.
When asked about the responsibility that men shared with regard to crimes against women, Zalki said: “The minds of men and women work differently.”
“Girls go out at night alone, have a good time and come back in the morning. When something goes wrong, the reputation of the academics will be ruined, leaving a black mark on the institution,” he said.
Renu Bapna, advisor to the AICTE, concurred with Zalki’s beliefs, saying there were instances of women instigating men.
“The management should ensure a proper dress code on campus. Dresses that are ‘vulgar’ should be avoided,” she said. She advocated clinical psychology lessons for students to help them maintain “control over their thought processes”.
Premila Nesargi, advocate, who was also part of the discussion said, “Restrictions and curbing a girl’s freedom are not the answer to preventing crime against women. Dress code is not the answer and neither is shutting libraries and laboratories early. CCTVs are often misused. If a girl wants to study in the library at night, she should be allowed to do so. Do not curb the rights of the girl,” she said.
According to her, the solution was to ensure there was safety in the infrastructure on campus - for instance, a well lit campus.
“Appoint adequate security guards and ensure that a girl is aware of her legal rights. Empower the girls,” she said.