In October 2012, the sexual assault on a student in the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University (BU) sent shockwaves among the student community. At the time, dark roads with little or no lighting, lack of adequate security and other such infrastructural inadequacies were highlighted.
Over three years later, students complain of the same problems. It is not just on the BU campus, but also in other educational institutions that boast of similar vast campuses. Female students, in particular, complain of harassment by outsiders that is more often than not sexual in nature.
A spate of recent incidents where students were harassed in and around their campuses has put the focus back on student safety.
Earlier this week, students of National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) staged a protest demanding basic facilities such as better lighting on the streets to be assured of safety. Their grouse was the lack of safety in the vicinity of their campus rather than within, as entry and exit to the campus are well regulated.
However, for students of BU’s 1,000-odd acre Jnanabharathi campus, walking from one department to another can prove to be a harrowing experience. With the roads within the campus being a thoroughfare for the general public, they have no say on who is on their campus at any given time.
“We have to ensure that we are not walking alone. Being jeered at by a bike rider passing by is commonplace. A classmate of mine, who lives in the hostel, once had to fend off an attempt to snatch her chain,” said Sujaya (name changed), a final-year postgraduate student.
BU students point out that not all department blocks have security guards.
“In the event of something going wrong, we have no one to turn to. To top it all, mobile connectivity is not available across the campus,” said another PG student. Most students do not venture out after dusk due to poor or no lighting.
It is not just after the sun goes down that students fret. A female student of NCBS narrated horrific incidents she and fellow students have been in, including being hit by strangers on the road outside the campus.
Another vast university campus is the Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra (GKVK), which houses the NCBS. “There is a road that connects with the Judicial Layout. Anyone can use it. Because of this, the gate towards Tindlu is not regulated at all,” said a PhD student of the University of Agricultural Sciences.
“Many students from the hostel find it difficult to go for a morning walk or jog because there are more outsiders than people from the campus. There have been reports of female students facing trouble,” said a student before adding, “I still don’t understand why thoroughfare should be allowed on academic campuses.”
Common complaints
Strangers on the campus
Poor lighting
No entry and exit protocol in some places
Lack of security guards and police patrolling
Lack of reliable mobile connectivity
