I am a student from the very well known university Jamia Millia Islamia. I have been staying in the old hostel of the university which is commonly known as “Hall of Girls’ Residence-old”. Like every other girls’hostel, we also have to follow certain rules and regulations, for example, the curfew timings at our hostel are 8PM, which I find is too early because we are adults now and we know what is right and what is wrong for us.
Now, I am coming to the point I want to make here. I want to let everyone know what unfair and unofficial activities are being supported by our new provost “S.Azra Khursheed” at the hostel premises. Recently, there was an article on the homely feeling provided by the new provost at the hostel on 10th of June 2017 in Delhi Times. Let me tell you, that was all fake. The reality is what I am stating now. The following is the reality about the new provost –
- The provost is very rude to the students. Her behavior is inappropriate and disgusting. She always gives hateful and misogynistic comments against the girls. Not only girls, her behavior with the workers is not good at all.
- She has occupied the hostel land illegally. There is a lawn behind the AAA hostel which she has occupied. We are not allowed to go there. Before she was living in the hostel, we had the access to that lawn. Also, the AAA hostel does not have any common room, but there was no issue because the hostel lobby used to solve the purpose. But the very day Azra Khursheed
became the provost, the main door of AAA was closed on her order. And the area which was a common room for the girls, was named as committee hall. This area is locked since that day and all the couches, tables, coolers and one AC , is closed. It has been three months that the girls are using the back door as the entrance to the hostel. The way to the back door is shabby and filthy. The girls are not even allowed to enter the committee hall. The furniture which the girls used every day for many years is now locked for stupid reasons. It feels very humiliating to use the back door. It is very clearly seen that the hostel lobby is illegally occupied by the provost. Also, The AAA hostel doesn’t have any ventilation except that front door. Since the door is closed, there is suffocation in the hostel. Even if the lobby area has to be used as committee hall, what is the issue if the front door is opened? She does not have an answer to this question. - Every day she comes up with a new rule that obviously is not student friendly and there is no consideration given to any student. Her common dialogue is that either you follow this rule or vacate the hostel. Our most of the time is wasted in doing the things according to the rules proposed by her.
- Officially there is no guest rooms because already the hostel is short of rooms and every year, there are many girls who are left without hostel. But the provost is giving rooms to the outsiders on guest basis unofficially and there is no record of the money which they are earning from the guests. So, where is the money going?
- In the history of the Hall of girls’Residence, this is the first time that the provost is living inside the hostel campus. Provost is not available whenever we need to talk to her. Even if she is there in the hostel, she asks girls to take appointment and then come to her at the office timing. So, why is she staying in the hostel?
- All the facilities have degraded in the hostel and the number of residents has also increased, so there should be some relaxation in fee. But there is no such relaxation.
- At the time of Ramadan, an iftar party was organized by provost in which there were around 50-60 guests who were invited by the provost. They were served special food and dessert and the girls were served the normal dinner. Again, the question is the party was organized for whom?
All I want to say is that we need a provost who reorganize all the old rules which are not student friendly. We can’t make this point in front of anyone because we have the fear of expulsion from the hostel. That’s the reason that we are raising our voice using “YOUTH KI AWAAZ” platform.