No more fun, talks and friendship — tragic fall of college hostels

Most students who are on the brink of exiting their college life would be bombarded with erstwhile glorious times they celebrated in their youthful brio on campus. Those spirited memories would be pointless without a mandatory inclusion — college hostels.

The life lessons and the adaptability that the hostel offers would help hone anyone's attitude in their later lives. These experiences are coveted and will come in handy during later years. The friendship and rivalry that sprouted here would accompany you like a best buddy throughout life.

Unfortunately, in Kerala, hostels work as incarceration camps where students see hell and put up a test of perseverance to come alive after some gruelling years. The investigation is still ongoing in the mysterious death of Siddharthan who was found hanging inside the hostel in Pookode University. Inhumane torture and humiliation are alleged to be the cause of Siddharthan’s death.

In another case, there was an organized attack by a mob on foreign students who were performing religious prayers in a hostel on the Gujarat University campus. Five students from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Africa were injured and are currently in hospital. The mob gang shouting slogans intruded into the hostel and badly thrashed the students who were performing prayers. By the time the police arrived half an hour later, the group of attackers had left.

It is reported that the police have arrested five people belonging to the gang. In the wake of violence from outsiders, the university authorities have decided to shift the foreign students to another hostel with greater security. The mob gang before entering the hotel had attacked the security guard present there. Since the attack was on Ramadan prayers, it is natural to assume the religious reasons behind it.

As said earlier, hostels should be the epicentre of fun, idle talks and friendship more than anything. The current scenario is frightening nevertheless and is deriding the education sector in our country. The developments at Pookode University have brought out the shocking truth that neither the Warden nor the University authorities have any control or responsibility over the hostels there.

In the country, there are no specific guidelines for the management and supervision of campus hostels. The horrific incidents in Gujarat and Pookode reassert the need for such strong rules.