The campus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Banaras Hindu University (BHU) witnessed fervent protests by student organizations demanding justice and enhanced security measures following a recent harassment incident involving a female student. The incident has sparked outrage, leading to calls for immediate action and structural changes.
The 22-year-old survivor reported the incident to the Lanka police station, detailing the alleged harassment that occurred when she and a male friend were on a late-night walk on the campus. The perpetrators, riding on a motorcycle, ambushed them, separating the two and dragging the woman to an isolated area.
Student organizations, including the Bhagat Singh Morcha (BSM), All-India Students’ Association, and ABVP BHU unit, came together to stage a demonstration on the campus. Their demands include the arrest of the three assailants, implementation of the Vishakha guidelines on campus, the formation of a Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment (Gscash), and regular gender sensitization workshops.
One member of BSM stated, “The victim should get justice as soon as possible. The three men who harassed the student should be identified and arrested at the earliest.”
In response to the protests, IIT-BHU authorities announced security enhancements. A boundary wall is set to be constructed around the campus, and CCTV cameras will be installed at sensitive locations, including girls’ hostels. A joint committee comprising IIT-BHU and CPWD officials will be formed to survey the campus for boundary wall construction, and the report will be submitted within a week for further approval and funding.
However, students, in their memorandum, expressed their opposition to the division of the campus, arguing that a boundary wall between BHU and IIT-BHU cannot prevent such incidents. They urged authorities to withdraw the decision to build the wall and instead focus on foolproof security arrangements.
ABVP members and NSUI also called for the withdrawal of the boundary wall decision, emphasizing the need for immediate justice for the victim and an increase in security personnel on the campus.
In the wake of the incident, security measures at IIT-BHU have been escalated. Guards at the institute’s gates are conducting strict checks on individuals entering the campus. The police officer responsible for the area was shifted to police lines for dereliction of duty. A meeting with BHU officials led to the decision to deploy constables at various spots across the campus to prevent outsiders from entering and mitigate the risk of similar incidents.
As of now, no arrests have been reported in connection with the harassment incident, but the protests and increased security measures highlight the urgency for action and safety improvements on the IIT-BHU campus.
Sources By Agencies
