HYDERABAD: In light of the rising gender insensitivity on campus, the students of the University of Hyderabad are demanding a debate among the candidates who are in the fray for the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) elections. The All India Students Association (AISA) has sent a request letter to the election commission of the university regarding this matter.
The student union elections for the year 2023 will be held on February 24, and a presidential debate has been scheduled for February 23, where the presidential and general secretary candidates will present their manifestos. Although GSCASH is not part of the union, their elections have been clubbed for logistical reasons. Members of AISA have demanded that time be allotted for GSCASH candidates to address the audience.
The students have informed the election commission that due to the rise in sexual harassment cases against minority genders, especially members of the queer community on campus, it is crucial to start a dialogue beginning with the GSCASH Debate. “It is essential that we question the violence that the university members have faced at a time when the campus is all set to cast its vote,” the letter states.
GSCASH includes three women representatives from the Integrated Programme, Post-Graduate Programme, and research programme each. The candidates for GSCASH were given a slot for debate during the presidential elections in 2017-18, but the debate did not take place during the last elections in 2019-20.