Hyderabad: The management of a private college has withdrawn its ban on short kurtis (Indian top generally of knee length) being worn by its female students following their protests.
The management of St Francis College for Women in Hyderabad withdrew the order after senior police officials visited the college to inquire about the ongoing protests by the women over the last few days.
Though the management had issued the orders banning “above the knee kurtis” on August 1, protests erupted last week when the college appointed female guards to stop women from entering the college in short kurtis, skirts and cropped tops.
It led to quarrels and jostling between the students and the guards and principal Sandra Horta even went around the classes to inspect the implementation of the dress code.
The situation got aggravated on Monday when the students blocked the main gate demanding talks with the management. Only after the visit by the police did the management agree to talk and issued an amended order that said that the students can wear any clothes of their choice except mini skirts and crop tops.
Apart from the moral policing and enforcement of dress code, what incensed the women was the taunts from the authorities, such as: “your parents have sent you to college in order to get good marriage proposals.”
Many students alleged that the college management was demonstrating a regressive patriarchal mindset in trying to enforce “moral policing”.
During the demonstration the students carried placards saying “we are skipping our lessons to teach you one”.
Another placard read: “Women dressed like me (modestly) are still harassed. What is your excuse?”
On the management’s argument that the kurtis above the knee would expose thighs and attract boys, another placard said: “I am sorry, is my kurti distracting you?”
