By Roshan bint Raheem
Hyderabad: Noted Telugu film personality Lakshmi Manchu has jumped in support of the girls of St Francis College who are protesting against the college management diktat that they should not wear short kurtis.
The new rule states that students can only wear salwar-kameez and kurtis, long enough to hide their legs up to knees. The controversial kurti rule also says that it should cover three-quarters of the students’ arms.
The students have been agitating ever since new decree was imposed last week. Lakshmi Manchu’s Tuesday tweet said, “Standing in solidarity with the students of St. Francis. We have long been judged for what we wear. Not anymore. #sfcdresscode #myclothesmychoice #IAmMoreThanADistraction.”
The tweet has given impetus to the sagging morale of the agitators.
Students with whom siasat.com spoke said that the management is not budging from its position. “We have been asking the management in very polite manner not to interfere with the dress code of the girls because one, it is a girls college and two, no one is trying to promote nudity or vulgarity. But they are not responding to our request and demanding that the students should follow what the college management says. This is nothing but uncalled for dictatorship,” a student said on condition of anonymity.
A few girls alleged, “The college management is threatening the students. It is saying that if we raise our voice against the management we would be thrown out with a TC (Transfer Certificate) in hand.”
Under pressure from the management many students have shut down their twitter accounts, it is learnt.
The students have said that they are being subjected to checks by lecturers at the entrance of the college.
“It is humiliating when the lectures are checking you bodily. Even the girls who wear burqa are not left alone. They are being asked to take off their burqua to check their attires before allowing them to enter the college premises,” the students complained.
Jayasri Cherukuri, a social activist, called the college behavior a matter of concern. She said, “We live in a society where women have a choice to live according to their will…No one can force a girl or woman over her choice of attire.”