Ripped jeans were added to the banned clothes list at St Xavier's Mumbai 2 weeks ago. (Representational)
Lovin' the grunge look with your faded and ripped jeans? If you are a student at St. Xavier's college, better go and change before entering the premises.
The college has put a complete ban on torn jeans. And its reasoning? It says such clothes put them in an embarrassing situation.
An Unhappy BunchThe new directive by the college obviously has not gone down well with the students with many speaking against it and calling it unreasonable.
A BMM student said, "Why would the college need such a rule? Ensuring that students' dresses don't become vulgar is one thing, but completely putting a ban on wearing something is absolutely unreasonable."
"The rule has just been announced and it's already being implemented very strictly. Students are not being allowed to enter if they are wearing ripped jeans. This is an attack on our personal space. What we want to wear is our decision. Why should the college interfere?" questioned a BA student. Another student, pursuing psychology, said, "Even the Mumbai University does not have any such rule!"
"Now that the college has got autonomy, it can take its own decisions, but is this what the administration is going to focus on? It was completely unexpected coming from a South Mumbai college," the student added.
Confirming the dress code, principal Dr. Agnelo Menezes said, "Torn jeans put college in an embarrassing position. After observing a few students wearing such clothes, the college took this decision."
'Mocking The Poor'"Those who wore such jeans were asked to go home; it was embarrassing," he added, but refused to name the students on whom action had been taken over this.
"We already do not allow short clothes and sleeveless on campus, ripped pants have now been added to the list," said Menezes, explaining that there was "sociological reasoning" behind it. "This dress is a mockery of the poor, who have to wear torn clothes because they have no option. It (such torn clothes) is their regular dress."
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Voices
Shobhaa De, Author and alumnus
'St Xavier's college has always had a liberal and inclusive culture of education. I think the students should take a strong representation to the principal, stating that it is their right to choose what to wear as along as it is not indecent'
Harish Iyer, LGBT activist and alumnus
'You cannot be a progressive college with such regressive thoughts. Character of a college is not going to be judged by what its students and teachers are wearing but on what is the standard of education the college is giving and the qualifications that its students are receiving at the end of the course. Soon, there may be news about a uniform for students of St. Xavier's college'(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)