Ahmedabad: A shocking incident has come to the fore in Bhuj, Gujarat where 68 girls at a college were forced to remove their undergarments Thursday to prove that they were not menstruating.
The hostel rector allegedly complained to the principal that some girls violated religious practices by entering the temple and kitchen premises during their periods.
The incident took place at Shri Sahjanand Girls’ Institute (SSGI) whose mission ironically reads “self-development and empowerment of girls through modern, scientific, and value-based education”.
While the bizarre nature of the incident has left everyone shocked, reportedly no police complaint has been lodged in this connection. However, the in-charge vice-chancellor of Krantiguru Shyamji Krishna Verma Kutch University has formed a committee to investigate the matter.
Founded in 2012, the college is run by the followers of Bhuj’s Swaminarayan Mandir. In the year 2014, the college was shifted to a new building inside the premises of Shree Swaminarayan Kanya Mandir. The college offers courses like BCom, BSc and BA with nearly 1,500 students enrolled there. It also has hostel facilities and 68 girls, hailing from remote areas, stay there.
As per the sect’s rules, menstruating women are not allowed to enter temple or kitchen premises. Not just that, they are also barred from touching fellow students. The college’s hostel authorities raised concerns with the principal Rita Raninga that some menstruating girls were not only walking about mingling with other students but also ventured into the temple and kitchen.
One of the hostellers, Durga, said Thursday that the students were asked to leave their classrooms during lecture and queue up in the corridor. Durga said that the principal abused them and questioned them if they were menstruating. Following which two girls stepped out from the queue.
Despite the two girls coming forward, three female professors forced every girl to the washrooms and remove their undergarments to check whether they were menstruating.
The committee set up to probe the matter has assured that stringent action will be taken against the college.
PNN
