Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

After a week-long protest demonstrated by the students of Banaras Hindu University, a new proctor was appointed on 28 Sep. In the 101-year-old history of BHU, Royona Singh is the first women to hold the post as a proctor. BHU’s new chief proctor Royona Singh, a professor of anatomy at the university’s Institute of Medical Sciences

The students of BHU both boys and girls and come out on the streets to protest against an incident that happened earlier last week. A first-year student was molested by three boys riding a bike on 21 Sep. When the victim complained to her higher officials, no strict actions were taken against the boys and she only was questioned back and given sympathy in return.

Following the incident, students, angry with the response of the university administration began a protest which went on for a week. As a result of the protest, the former Proctor ON Singh had to resign from the post and Royona Singh took the charge.

The new Proctor after assuming office has made a few changes to the rules of the university and especially for the girls. Royana being named after a French town and born in Europe believe that there neither should be any dress code for the girls nor the alcohol should be banned for them. She also removed the ban on non-vegetarian food in the campus as soon as she took charge of her duties. She was born in Europe and was raised in the French town of Royan for nine years in the 1980s.

She said that a girl should have the freedom of wearing whatever she is comfortable in and nobody has the right to judge her and call her names on the basis of her outfit. She also added that imposing rules on what should be worn on campus will be injustice and she will feel like she is imposing the rules forcefully on herself too.

“I was born in Europe. I frequently travel to Europe and Canada. Putting a dressing restriction on girls would be like imposing it on myself.You start your day at 6 am and end at 10.30pm, and if you still can’t wear what you feel comfortable in, then it is a shame in this era. I find it strange when boys use the words ‘skimpily clad’. If a girl feels comfortable in what she wears, what’s their objection?” Royona said.

The new Proctor said that the team representing the university has never imposed any restrictions on women in the past and would not do so in the future. She also speaking her thoughts on alcohol ban for girls questioned that, “As far as drinking is concerned, all girls here are above 18, why should we even impose such a thought on them?”

She has also allowed non-vegetarian food on the campus arguing that when she was in the Medical hostel, the diet was vegetarian only if the majority of the girls demanded it, else the non-veg was cooked on decided days.

Royana also expressed her discontent over the remarks made by the guard on duty when the molestation incident happened and comments made by the administration. In her statement to the press, she said that “Girls can move anywhere and at any time. As a chairperson of grievance cell until recently, I have taken up such issues and addressed them to restore the dignity of women. I don’t know how the warden said such a thing. We will sensitise guards and wardens on these sensitive topics.”

She also assured that from now on stringent measures will be introduced to keep a check on issues like eve-teasing, rowdyism or display of ostentatious wealth at BHU. Further giving the details of the measures taken as of now she informed that barricading os done to ensure that bikes don’t move too fast, new pillars are being put for the CCTV cameras, branches and twigs are cut from the trees to make way for more lighting and Big cars and trolleys will not be allowed via thoroughfare.

On the appointment of women as the new Proctor Royona Singh said that she herself being a woman, will be more sensitive towards handling female issues and the females would be more comfortable in sharing things with a female.