TalibaNadu

One would expect the rationalists who never miss out on an opportunity to lash out at religious fanatics (only a particular religion), would keep a healthy attitude towards gender related issues.

Some time back we were shocked at a report which claimed that students living in a girls' hostel in Tamil Nadu were asked to keep a menstrual register! Then came the news of political parties hounding actress Khushboo for her remarks on chastity of women. More recently actress Shriya was chastised for wearing a risque dress at a DMK party function.

Of course, a state where the most revered living political leader publicly practices polygamy, such things pale in comparison.

Now for a rather funny report [video] on some colleges from TN:

The outskirts of Chennai are home to scores of engineering colleges where discipline it appears is an obsession - sometimes even bordering on the ridiculous. Some rules even bar students from talking to the opposite sex. What we found was not only shocking, but disturbing: Metal barricades had been put up in buses to ensure that girls sat away from boys. While girls sat in the front rows, boys sat behind them. We also found exclusive dining areas for members of the two sexes. Interestingly the 'Non-Veg' section was synonymous with the 'Gents only' areas. [...] In yet another college it seemed things were getting from bad to worse - here we even found staircases clearly labelled 'Gents only', and 'Ladies only'. When we asked college authorities for an explanation, the Director said the rules were "only for for convenience".

Think this is not so serious? Well, think again.

[...] but for one teenager in an engineering college, who had to forgo a year for shaking hands with a girl, these are more than just an eccentric rule. He recalls the 'crime': "I just shook hands with a girl. It was her birthday and I wished her. A bus driver saw it and complained to the director. They harassed me by asking many questions. I got suspended for one and a half months. My attendance obviously suffered, and they dropped me for a year. They were harassing my parents. I have seen my mom cry only twice before. This was third time."

These people are going too far to prevent "contamination". But for these college going boys and girls, they are being deprived of a very necessary part of the process of growing up, at a formative age, when interacting with the other sex helps build healthy attitude towards sex and gender related issues.