It was only after the brutal rape and murder of a Dalit law student in Perumbavoor that most of her acquaintances came to know about the abject penury and the near social ostracism she faced in her life.
Stung by that revelation, the Government Law College, Ernakulam, where she was a student, is planning to put in place an emotional support mechanism on the campus for students.
R. Biju Kumar, Principal of the law college, admitted that it was tough to identify poor students though teachers were willing to support them. Such students often find it humiliating to admit to their situation.
“Since the college has only around 750 students, of which only 550-odd are regulars, it was possible for teachers to maintain personal contact with most of them. However, in the context of the tragic incident, we are thinking of a system to extend emotional support,” Mr. Kumar told The Hindu.
St. Teresa’s model
In fact, the neighbouring girls-only St. Teresa’s College has a system complete with a counselling centre for the past several years.
Every class teacher in the college double up as a mentor and sessions are held where students are encouraged to open up on issues troubling them. Teachers deal with issues they are able to handle while students with more complex problems, who need expert help, are referred to the counselling centre.
“Services of two trained counsellors are made available at the centre twice a week and students have been positively responding to the service. Mostly, problems related to affairs, including the emotional trauma of a breakup or the exploitation in the guise of a relation, come up while issues like eve-teasing are also common,” said Kala M.S, the faculty in-charge of the counselling centre.
Besides, the college holds a value education hour once every week to groom students into socially responsible citizens and karate sessions for self-defence. Sreekumar Kavil, president of People’s Voice, which is in the forefront of the protest demanding the arrest of the accused in the murder of the Dalit student, said the absence of a platform on campuses to share the problems of students, especially girls, was acutely felt. There was a limit to what they can confide to friends, he said.
Toolika Suresh, chairperson, St. Teresa’s College, said counselling centres should be promoted across campuses. “This will break the taboo surrounding counselling and go a long way in the personality development of students,” she said.
