The Struggle for Safety and Respect on College Campus
You know what connects college campuses to one another? No, it’s not the syllabus, intellectual activity, or educational atmosphere on campus. In fact, it might surprise you if I told you that, in the current context, what connects one college to another — or even universities and institutes to each other — is moribund infrastructure, ragging culture, and, of course, law-and-order issues, campus politics, and an outdated syllabus.
I don’t want to raise issues like campus placements, exorbitant fees for professional courses, or even how teachers enjoy lucrative salaries while skipping lectures. Well, a student missing one lecture is one thing, but when a teacher intentionally avoids taking class, that’s another. Because even in the higher echelons of college administration, politics is always there.
You may have watched a number of films that depict how all is not well inside college campuses. The so-called abode of learning often becomes a safe haven—or, in fact, a breeding ground—for unlawful activities, including ragging. But is anybody listening?
Why Safety Must Come Before Everything Else
The recent loss of life of an art student at a reputed institute, along with the never-ending cases of student suicides in top colleges and pathetic infrastructure—I mean the basic ones like proper ceilings, good-quality fans, and adequate toilet facilities for girls and boys—has shaken me to the core. I don’t know what to say. But all I can say is that economic growth and high GDP can never be a “dream in reality” if students continue to rot in the very places that were meant for their intellectual development—colleges.
And keeping everything else aside, student safety inside campuses is the most basic thing anyone could expect from an institute for which they or their guardians pay hard-earned money in the form of admission fees, registration fees, exam fees, and development fees. I don’t even want to recall the horrific cases of acid attacks, physical assaults, ragging, or political violence inside college campuses that have left many students crippled—mentally or physically—and, in some cases, even led to the loss of lives.
As students, nobody is against anyone. But at least the basic thing one could ask from the government is SAFETY, in bold letters — safety from all evil eyes and hands, be it political forces, hooligans, miscreants, or even accidents. A student losing life because of infected water, electrocution, or dengue is seriously distressing.
In Conclusion
I hope the authorities are listening and will ensure that nothing of that sort ever happens again. And seriously, guys, racist crimes are growing across the world. Why not study in your home country and contribute to its growth and development instead? Let me know your views.
