In a bizarre incident, a principal and two professors of a college in Amravati district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, have been suspended by college administration, for making girl students to pledge that they would not fall in love and would not indulge in “love marriage”.
The suspended professors include: Principal Dr. S R Haware of the Women’s Art and Commerce College, run by Vidarbha Youth Welfare Society (VYWS), Prof. Dr. Pradip P Dande and NSS Programme officer Prof. Dr. V D Kapse. They were suspended by VYWS secretary Yuvrajsingh Chaudhary, based on the instructions of the VYWS President Dr Nitin Dhande. One member committee has been set up to inquire the matter.
In a National Social Service camp organised on the eve of Valentine Day in the college, located at Tembhurda in Chandur taluka, Prof Pradip P Dande, spoke on “Challenges before youth”. In his speech he highlighted increasing crime against women, especially girls. He also expressed concern that women were being targeted and there has been increase in such incidents.
Prof. Dande also exhorted girl students to refrain from falling in love so that complications do not occur in their lives. “When parents are capable of arranging marriages, why one should prefer a love marriage ? he asked and made girl students to take an oath that they would not fall in love and would not go in for love marriage. He also made students to swear by that they would ensure that their parents would not give a dowry to the groom. Even after their marriage, while marrying off their children, they would not give or take dowry.
However this topic generated enough hit with people questioning how one can say that every love affair would be a failure and what if the parents consent to love ties of their children and solemnize their marriage ?
Former Maharashtra Minister for Women and Child Welfare Pankaja Munde through tweet, questioned, why only girls should be made to make such a pledge? Instead of this, why cant the boys be made to pledge that they would not harass any girl in one sided love affair, they would not involve in acid attack on girls, they would not try to immolate any girl if they are dejected in love relation. Besides, if any one indulge in such activities, they would be prompt in giving befitting reply to such miscreants, Munde had said.
Besides, there was also an animated discussion in various whatsapp groups saying what if the conduct of the groom selected by the parents is not good ? Instead of anti-love marriage pledge, the girl students could have been explained about the precautions they should take before establishing any relation, most of the people opined.
In the meanwhile in another incident a teacher who was hired to impart computer training to VI-VIII standard girl students in a school run by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), was arrested on charges of outraging modesty of the students. The accused was not an employee of the NMMC and was hired on contract. He had been harassing girls for the last few months. Initially the students tolerated his misbehaviour. But eventually they complained to the school authorities, when the situation went out of control. Based on the complaint by the school authorities, the accused was promptly arrested by police on Wednesday.
