Can I make a difference?

Last Sunday, we had a musical concert at college with performances by Harish Raghavendra and Mahati. It was hosted by "Erode Mahesh" who is (maybe was) a contestant in "Kalaka Povatha Yaaru" on Star Vijay.

In all it was a great show with nice music and dance(by some of my class mates).The host kept the audience(especially the guys) in good humor by jokes on "docile" girls, “lack of cooking skills" girls, "always-nudging-your-friend-for-volunteering" girls and so on. Well, he was catering to the majority of the crowd and hence was well-received and applauded. My friends and I had a great time thorough out. What rubbed me off was the incident post-show.

The show got over around 8 p.m and the master-of-ceremonies asked us girls to wait till the boys cleared the quadrangle. I was surprised by the need for such gender-based exit strategy. Surprise might be a kind word as my friends would say. The announcement completely irritated me. Why should we have to walk back to our hostels separately??

While I was seething with anger the guys around me where shooed away to hostel under threats of confiscation of ID cards. The whole scenario was lame and comical (now when I think of it).It must have been definitely funny with a security cordon separating the two groups. But the other day, even after getting back into hostel I could not figure the "reasons".

My friends told me the reasons ranged from safety to prevention of untoward incidents. Safety seemed stupid considering the fact that we would be walking for less than a kilometer from our college campus to hostel premises. Agreed it was night and dark but the whole place was scattered with khaki-clad security personnel.

Next reason read prevention, prevention from what??? They retorted that the college was doing this to avoid mishaps. I said "separation of exits" may be just an immediate solution. Something you do for that night, something for that very show. To have this "behind-our-back" strategy every time there is a student gathering just does not make sense.

My suggestion was something proactive, something that would make a difference for time to come. An attitude change that "guys will misbehave" and "girls cannot and shall not fight back” is desperately needed. Guys (maybe not all but definitely some) look down upon the girls as delicate and submissive. Not quite the truth be it a village-grown chatterbox or an urban hippie. All of them have the ability to speak out but are never convinced of the need to. Guys are painted a picture of girls being "not-up-to-the-mark" for anything but domestic purposes all through their lives. Please don’t read me as a feminist. I am just stating that the way we are is a reflection of the exposure we have had through our growing-up.

I wish there could be a day in my college when a host would focus on humoring without taking gender as a criterion. Could we have guys do what they to do without being eyed suspiciously. Would girls be allowed to perform on stage minus any “cover-yourself-up” dressing regulations? Will the world believe in platonic relationships? Would colleges allow guys and girls to co-exist with their differences?

I believe as educational institutions, colleges and schools should bring about this change in attitude. The people must out-shed mundane viewpoints and be forthcoming in accepting change. I am not asking for a youth devoid of culture and principles. What I am asking for is conscience-driven youngsters free of the clutches of "age-old" notions.

I hope I am making a difference in stating what I feel and believe and wish for. I wish to make a difference. Do you wish the same?