Banaras: There have been protests in Banaras Hindu University after the incident of sexual harassment has taken place. While BHU Vice-Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi has claimed, that the campus has adequate security measures in place, “security for boys and girls can never be at par”.
On being asked, after the complaint of sexual harassment last Thursday, why are the students feeling insecure?
“This (Thursday’s) incident is very unfortunate. I am very sad about it. But sometimes issues are there and some issues are created. This issue was created. I think this issue was created by outsiders and the shape it took is what is more unfortunate than the initial incident itself,” Tripathi said.
These people try to make a lie look like a truth. Youth always stand for truth and justice, he said in an Interview with The Indian Express.
“Some people with vested interests and ulterior motives have triggered this incident. The students, if they had a grievance or complaint, should have suggested to the university to do something. But there is a mindset to disturb institutions of higher learning. BHU is not alone. Every university in the country is being disturbed,” he said.
He said that he is doing his best, the university is doing its best to ensure women’s safety on the campus. They are arranging for streetlights and deploying more guards, the BHU VC added
When asked about why the incident happened when there is adequate security, he said:
“Incidents can happen and they do. There are 10,000 girls living here on campus. We can ensure their safety in the hostel, that is why there are curfew timings. But there are no such timings on the road outside, incidents happen. But what is important is how we handle the incident. This is such a big campus, anything can happen anywhere. We cannot assign a guard to every student.”
They are doing their best for the students. They have formed a committee headed by a high court judge to inquire into the incident, he added.
On being asked about the lathi charge on protesting students?
The use of force was against criminals not girl students. It was such a situation that force had to be used. Police used force but only late in the night to take the protesters out. If force was used on girls, I have no idea.
Why are there two different curfew timings for girls and boys?
He said: “No, girls stay out late at night. No one complains. Girls can give a written application if they need to stay out beyond the curfew time for tuition, coaching class or other such needs and when they do, we readily allow it. And everyone is happy with this arrangement.”
He further supported his answer, saying, “Parents say that this is the most suitable and safe campus. If something happens to their daughters, then who will be answerable? The curfew time for girls is 8 pm and for boys 10 pm, but that is for the security of both. It is good that the curfew timings for MMV and Triveni girls’ hostels is 8 pm, in one other girls’ hostel, it is 6 pm. Security for boys and girls can never be at par. If we are going to listen to every demand of every girl we won’t be able to run the university. All these rules are for their safety, all in favour of the girl students.”