Vadodara youths strip to shorts over indecent dressing

VADODARA, JULY 26: A section of student leaders at the M.S. University here who have taken over the role of social reformers'' showed a ...

VADODARA, JULY 26: A section of student leaders at the M.S. University here who have taken over the role of 8220;social reformers8221; showed a novel way today to register their protest against the use of 8220;indecent dresses8221; by exposing themselves. Some of them turned up in shorts and vests to attend classes today to press for a dress code in the university.

The drama unfolded at the MSU campus this morning when this group turned up to make representations to Vice-Chancellor Anil Kane and Pro-Vice Chancellor V.D. Pathak dressed in vests and shorts. Kane, however, expressed his inability to curb the freedom of students in dressing.

Peeved at this, the leaders moved on the campus dressed in scanty clothes. The leaders travelled about a kilometre on their two-wheelers from the Faculty of Commerce main building to the General Education building to press their demand. They also sat in the class dressed in shorts and vests.

The Faculty of Commerce Students8217; Association General Secretary, Mehul Lakhani, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad ABVP functionary Mayur Patel and others led them. But later, ABVP functionaries denied the involvement of their organisation in the agitation. Kane said: 8220;We cannot compel the students to wear a particular type of dress, unless they are objectionable to the accepted social norms.8221; Kane confirmed that students had turned up at his office dressed in vests and trousers. 8220;They could do so within the campus. Outside, indecent exposure is a criminal offence and they can be booked for it,8221; Kane said.

Kane refuted the leaders8217; claim that several incidents of eve-teasing were taking place on the campus due to indecent clothes8217;. 8220;If this was happening on the campus, the deans would have taken action,8221; Kane said. He said the entire episode was a non-issue and had been blown out of proportion. 8220;Conducting this kind of agitation is a signal of lack of wisdom. The students must not force their will on others,8221; Kane said.