On Monday, November 21, students of the Kozhikode Medical College will submit a petition to the Kerala High Court, for the withdrawal of a government order concerning the curfew of hostels. Four nights ago, female students of the government college hostel sat in protest outside the gates, when they were denied entry for coming back five minutes after 10 pm, the curfew time. It has been a long-standing demand of the students to remove the curfew which, they say, was mostly applicable only to the women, and not the male students.
“Last year, we had launched an Azadi – Break the Curfew campaign, demanding for the removal of curfew and for allowing the use of the open library at the college 24 hours a day. We also sent a letter to the Women’s Commission some time ago. Two days back, the Women’s Commission chairperson, P Satheedevi, said that she would recommend these demands to the government,” said Kavya, a third year student and magazine editor of the college union.
The government order in question was issued in 2019, saying that the curfew for the female students has been “extended to 9.30 pm”, same as the male students. “In 2021, the principal issued a circular which said that the library would be open for the male students at all times, while the female students had to study in their hostel after curfew hour. When we protested against this, they froze that circular and made the rule the same for everyone, putting a curfew for all students at 10 pm,” Kavya said.
However, the time was more or less flexible until a few months ago, when a new warden took charge and made the curfew strict. It began when a new batch of students joined this year, and there was to be a security period (against ragging) of one month, during which timings would be strict. However, along with the first-year students, all the others were also forced to follow the curfew as well.
“As long as the government order is there, the authorities will point to it and ask us to follow it. So we want the government order to be revoked, and not be given any curfew at all. We also want the library to be open for 24 hours for our use. This is important since the room meant for four people is taken up by six, and they will need space to sit and study,” Kavya said.
In their protest outside the hostel on November 16, it was all female students who sat outside and raised slogans against the curfew. They said that though on paper the curfew was meant for everyone, it was strictly enforced only for the female students, and the men were free to come and go as they pleased.
Female students of Kozhikode Medical College protest against the hostel curfew that they say is not enforced on the male students. pic.twitter.com/HjolZbmQwz
— Cris (@cristweets) November 21, 2022
A protesting student told Manorama News that if the reason behind the curfew was their security, then steps should be taken to ensure their safety by equipping the campus with CCTV cameras, security personnel, and street lights outside. “The solution is not to lock up the women. It is time to change the attitude that women should go back to their nests at 9.30 or 10 in the night. This is the 21st century. And we are students who are studying to be doctors. In a few years we will have to come to this same campus as doctors on night duty,” she said.
The fight for extending or doing away with curfews at women's hostels in colleges and universities has been a long one, replicating itself every few years.
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