KOCHI: A plan to attend college wearing the traditional Kerala attire of ‘dhoti and shirt’ has cost the final year students of mechanical engineering stream at a self-financing college in Ernakulam district dear.
The incident took place at Holy Kings College of Engineering & Technology, Pambakuda, on Wednesday when the college management barred all the 66 boys who wore the attire from writing an internal exam, besides giving them zero marks for the paper.
As per the college rules, students are free to come to college wearing their preferred dresses on Wednesdays. This was the first time the students decided to attend class in the traditional Kerala ‘dhoti’ as it was the last Wednesday before the four-year course came to an end.
“When has the traditional Kerala attire become unacceptable in our colleges? The college manual, as far as we know, has not banned anyone from wearing ‘dhoti,’” said Harikrishnan S, one of the students who faced the management’s wrath. “We wore the ‘dhoti’ only because this was the last Wedneday,” he said.
KSU has taken up the issue with its district vice-president Bhagyanadh Nair issuing a statement condemning the management’s decision. He asked the college to conduct a retest, besides allowing students to attend classes in traditional dress once in a week.
Jori Mathai, executive director of the college, could not be reached for comments as his phone was switched off. Mathai is also a former syndicate member of MG University.