Women students gathered to protest the hostel's 'no stepping out after 6.30pm' rule.
Women students in Thiruvananthapuram College of Engineering today revolted against their hostel's 'no stepping out after 6.30pm' rule.
Over 200 resident students of the women's hostel registered their protest by staying outside the premises well after the deadline, but within the college campus. They girls, who have decided to spend the night outside their rooms, are yet to hear from the college management.
College authorities believe that the lack of a compound wall makes the campus unsafe for women after sunset.
The girls ask in unison, "Why lock us up every day at 6.30pm?" They chose to gather around a cardboard cut-out of a woman with wings to fly - a symbol of their recently held college festival.
Radhika Sarda, a final year student, is angry. "Until we step out, there won't be any security measures. Why are there no security measures? Why should we suffer locked up?" she told NDTV.
Her friend Ashwati T Krishnan, a second year student, says "We have to beg with the boys to update us about projects. They work in the evenings on projects because there is hardly any time during the day. But we remained locked up."
Even in defiance, the girls were seen working on their laptops finishing assignments.
Another final year student, Gayatri Krishnan, tells NDTV that they are forced to live at the railway station or at a friend's place if the trains are late or early in the morning. "What security is that?" she asks.
College Principal, S Sheela, who did not respond to calls from NDTV, said last month "The campus is unsafe for women after 6.30pm. We cannot take any decision without parents' consent."
The college, however, does allow students to access college facilities after working hours if special permissions are taken in advance. But for Anju Varghese, who is also protesting against the deadline, "The College has many facilities which we can't really use because the cumbersome procedures have to be followed for special permissions.