Parties’ focus shifts to safety of women

Chandigarh, August 31

With the student council elections around the corner, the issue of women safety has taken centre stage on the Panjab University campus. After the RG Kar hospital incident of Kolkata, the student parties have included the issue of women safety in their respective manifestoes.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had, in fact, released a special manifesto for women students. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) followed suit and released its manifesto named PLAN, in which L stands for Ladies’ gym and self-defence classes.

The NSUI says if elected to power, it will work towards establishing a gym for women, offering self-defence classes to enhance their physical fitness and personal safety.

Last year, the NSUI had fought the election on the promise of bringing the provision of menstrual leave for students, adopting the idea from the educational institutions of Kerala. This had helped the party win the presidential seat, the only one which they had contested.

“We got the menstrual leave provision implemented. This time as well, we will do what we promise,” said Rahul Nain, presidential candidate of the NSUI.

In their women-centric special manifesto, the ABVP has promised to get, at least, one seat reserved in the council for women. They have also promised to establish pink police booths near every girls’ hostel as well as a students’ club ‘SAHASI’, which will serve as a platform for voicing challenges and concerns faced by women students.