Was the reversal of the Sree Kerala Varma College's regressive hostel rules too good to be true? That could be the case if student sources are to be believed. Following the judgment, the hostel authorities had extended the in-time for the female hostellers to 8.30 pm, on Friday. But on Sunday, the college authorities, including the warden and the principal have reportedly conducted a meeting with the parents of a few students, where it was decided to alter the in-time from 8.30 pm to 7 pm. The students are yet to receive a formal notification about the same.
The students who took part in the protest, on the other hand, are organising an event to celebrate the victory from (ironically) 7 pm to 8.30pm in the college premises. "The informed us on Friday that from Monday, the in-time will be extended to 8.30 pm and the parents will only be informed about it. In case they make the 7 pm decision formal, we will hold a protest instead of the celebration, says Salmath K P, a III year BA Political Science student.c
The meeting was, reportedly 'highly confidential', with no student representation. They were informed about the points of discussion by a parent who was present there, who managed to record it. The said parent, who spoke in favour of the students was allegedly threatened by the college authorities.
Students who had accessed the recording said that the warden and the principal have also made up stories to support their claims and defame the students who were leading the protest and filed a petition in the High Court. "One such story goes like this. Rinsa Fathima, a student who's leading the fight, took another student to an abandoned building. There, a group of 10 hooligans tried to rape them. Petrified, they called the warden, who immediately reached the spot and rescued the girls adventurously," narrates Salmath. "The warden and the principal have called my parents and made comments questioning my character and conduct," she adds.
Principal Dr Krishnakumari had said that the Students' Union members had told her that they're happy with a 7 pm in-time. The Students' Union, on the other hand, denied the claim. "We are in support of the protestors. When the principal asked for our opinion, we only told her to take a favourable decision, without creating further controversies," says a Students' Union member who did not wish to be named.
We tried contacting the warden Sindhu and the principal for a comment on this issue. While the former declined to comment saying she isn't in charge of the hostel anymore, the latter was not reachable.
