Day 19 – Q 4.Few colleges and educational institutions in India have banned its students from wearing certain types of clothes and interacting with opposite gender students. What are your views on this? Should such moral policing be allowed in educational institutions? Substantiate your views.
4. Few colleges and educational institutions in India have banned its students from wearing certain types of clothes and interacting with opposite gender students. What are your views on this? Should such moral policing be allowed in educational institutions? Substantiate your views.
भारत में कुछ कॉलेजों और शैक्षणिक संस्थानों ने अपने छात्रों पर कुछ प्रकार के कपड़े पहनने और विपरीत लिंग के छात्रों के साथ बातचीत करने पर प्रतिबंध लगा दिया है। इस पर आपके क्या विचार हैं? क्या शैक्षणिक संस्थानों में ऐसी नैतिक पुलिसिंग की अनुमति दी जानी चाहिए? अपने विचारों को सारगर्भित करें।
Introduction:
The Aligarh university recently ordered its female students to wear only salwar Kameez with dupatta inside and outside the hostel. Unfortunately, a DGP told that it is not in the control of the police to prevent rapes if the college girls don’t dress properly. These instances of moral policing are everything against our constitutional principles of equality, secularism and so on as well as the Ramrajya envisaged by Gandhiji.
Body
Educational institutions are places where there cannot be any discrimination or restrictions based on race, religion, caste or sex. In a recent judgement, madras high court observed that, “In a civilized and developed society, free movement and interaction of students irrespective of the sex they belong to cannot be faulted by the institution”.
Further, the perception that contact between male and female students leads to promiscuity or is a distraction is outdated. It is a patriarchal viewpoint reinforcing gender stereotypes that imposes unnatural barriers to interactions that would allow boys and girls to view one another as human beings, exchange ideas and views.
In the name of moral policing, a person’s liberty and privacy is infringed upon. Institutions are places where young minds are let to explore, be open-minded and creative. So, imposing rules which one thinks is right isn’t justifiable.
A free and open environment is required for minds to grow. A liberal environment is important for the growth of an individual and society. Oppressing free thoughts in the name of moral policing doesn’t just restrict this growth, but also puts a person in awkward and unmanageable situations when placed in an open working environment.
Schools and universities are places where every student has the freedom to study, live and explore. Rules and regulations should aim to free the students from discrimination and moral policing, not endow them with it.
The fundamental rights provided under the constitution is not exclusive off students. Any imposition or restriction, let it be freedom of interaction or dressing freedom is an infringement of these rights and hence this kind of moral policing is not only unethical but also illegal.
Conclusion
As Rabindranath Tagore said” Educational institutions are places where individual identity is explored and formed over years. Tampering too much with the student choices will hinder them from forming a personality organically”. Thus, unnecessary moral policing that would hinder the development, interaction of students should not be allowed in educational institutions.
