MCC students on a war path as professors turn moral cops

Students of Madras Christian College (MCC) staged a protest on campus on Thursday, saying some of the faculty are indulging in moral policing.

Madras Christian College campus. [Express File Photo]

CHENNAI: Students of Madras Christian College (MCC) staged a protest on campus on Thursday, saying some of the faculty are indulging in moral policing. Backed by their union, several students staged a day-long dharna in the administrative block, and called off the protest only late in the evening, after the administration agreed to heed their demands.

They alleged faculty members had been targeting them ever since the college reopened after the pandemic. “From commenting on our clothes, to penalising students for holding hands with members of the opposite sex, the staff are intruding into our personal lives,” said a final-year student.

The students alleged staff were even recording videos of them, and ridiculing and harassing them by calling their parents to the campus. Faculty members, meanwhile, say students’ behaviour has changed drastically since they returned to campus after almost two years due to the pandemic.

“Most of them have become indisciplined. They are not willing to respect what the staff say. We need to counsel them,” said a faculty member. The principal and dean of the college met the protesting students, held a discussion with them, and agreed to their demands.