NEW DELHI: A protest broke out at the Central University of Haryana in Mahendragarh district on Wednesday after a hostel warden told the girls not to wear shorts as it provokes boys and leads to molestation. The comment drew sharp criticism from the students, who demanded an apology from the warden and her dismissal.
A large crowd of students, comprising both girls and boys, gathered at the campus during college hours.
A girl student, who did not wish to be named, told this newspaper, “We were having lunch in our hostel’s dining hall when the warden came up and said that we should not wear shorts as it provokes boys and leads to incidents of molestation.” She said that the warden also asked those students who cannot follow the rule to leave the hostel premises.
Another resident of the girls’ hostel said that the ban on wearing of shorts was put in place by the warden without getting permission from higher authorities and that it was not even given to them in writing.
As of now, the warden has been removed from the post after the protest, the students said. However, they are still protesting to seek an apology from her. The warden’s diktat also drew flak from boys. A male student who was part of the protest said, “What she said is in bad taste and it will lead to increased gender gap.”
Another student, who is pursuing a Masters course, said that he was shocked to see such remarks being made by a person holding a responsible post. He added that all the boys of the university are supporting the protest and won’t withdraw it until the warden issues an apology. This reporter tried to contact the university administration as well as the hostel warden, but they were unavailable for comments.