Hyderabad: The Students’ Federation of India,(SFI) at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) called for the resignation of chief warden Shuvashisa Rana on grounds of recent acts of moral policing and inefficiency addressing infrastructural issues. The statement issued by the students organisations in the light of Monday’s protest gathering questioned the quantum of fines imposed on students further.
On Monday, November 18, a flying squad led by the chief warden Rana along with several security personnels conducted announced raids in several men’s hostels.
The squad forcefully entered targeted rooms and videographed the residents in their private space without consent. The university officials allegedly targeted the rooms of students who were raising basic hostel and mess issues. The unit, with no women representatives, mistreated female students who entered the hostel building in the early hours of the day.
Hyderabad: UoH students protest against hostel raids, moral policing
The squad confiscated kettles and induction cookers from hostels. These expropriations created considerable outrage among the student as the university hostels lack facilities to boil water and other food items especially when students fall sick and stay late for studies.
Five students were imposed hefty fines ranging up to Rs 30,000.
The flying squad was forced to abandon further raids amidst strong resistance from SFI activists who later protested inside the university administration building. The protest was dispersed following the assurances given by the university registrar, Devesh Nigam.
The registrar promised to seek explanation from the office of the chief warden for the conduct of the flying squad. Nigam assured to put further raids and fines imposed on students until his enquiry. Moreover, he guaranteed to constitute a committee including student representatives to revise the hostel rulebook.
Several students raised concerns about the actions of the chief warden and his flying squad. “So far, the intention of the chief warden and his flying squad is clear from the their actions. In the pretext of evicting of unauthorised individuals, they are actually disturbing the hostel residents. Why the chief warden is so concerned about kettles and inductions inside hostel rooms when the hostel and mess conditions lacking maintenance are in terrible state? What is the need for him to moral police students when the squad itself was infringing on their privacy? This is unacceptable,” said a resident of the men’s hostel.
Student organisation highlights University of Hyderabad chief warden’s failure
SFI accused the chief warden of employing diversion tactics to cover up his alleged failure to adress basic hostel and mess related issues like the condition of hostel buildings and food quality. The chief warden’s office reportedly failed to address long-standing student demands including, allocation of common kichens, hot water dispensers, elections to hostel and mess committees etc.
Furthermore, a statement was issued by student organisation demanding the resignation of the chief warden.
“Filming students when they had not even worn proper clothing in their hostel room is nothing but an attack on their dignity. This is nothing short of an assault on the private space of an individual. The inhuman, inefficient, anti-student chief warden must resign immediately for the crimes he is committing in the name of the flying squad. We appeal to the student community to unite and resist the chief warden’s flying squad team in any case if they attempt to enter hostels,” read the statement by the student organisation at the University of Hyderabad.
