You’re being watched!
Students in Jadhvapur University in WB have locked University administrative authorities for over 50 hours now. Reason- University decision to install CCTVs in campus following EC guidelines. I-cards have been made compulsory as well. Students look at this decision as undemocratic and unnecessary. They do not want to be monitored all the time. University authority justified the move as necessary in order to watch for notorious persons entering the campus.
I stand largely by the students. Why do we need CCTVs in a site of learning? Who do they want to monitor? Which notorious persons enter University? in such an event, are there not alternative security arrangements? Flashing ID cards while entering seems reasonable though. Nothing more please. All of us have enough experience of how college administration wants to control students all the time. This mentality of constant vigilance is typical to Indian society. I am out with my beau and i fear of being watched by ‘someone’ (our pathetic neighbour, distant aunts and all god forsaken persons!!). so no holding hands, getting cozy..it appears indecent to ‘society’ ( I can write on that too sometime)
My gym has CCTVs. So every time I am doing crunches, big brother watches me! This incognito big brother causes me discomfort. Makes me want to replace racer top with a burqa! Oh yes elevator has camera too.
We’re ‘frisked’ in malls, cinema halls (nothing worse than at PVR- no logic can justify my PVR experience) and where not. Mind you this frisking is so frivolous; I can pass in carrying a pistol. Post 26/11 my University, Pune University was enthusiastic about security. For about week after the attacks, we were subjected to stringent checking- ID cards, uncovering scarves, informing where and why one is entering University. After this pomp and show, lethargy prevailed. The bottom line is that we are subjected to vigilance in some or the other way all our lives.
All such actions are justified as prevention of terrorist activities. Sure, terrorist make instant plans as they are strolling and hit randomly. Tackling terror (that is not what I want to get into at the moment) requires fool proof intelligence input and necessary systems in place. Occasional widespread alert and eventual frisking activities based on possibility of threat should seem reasonable. (Anyway 24/7 alert has room for lethargy and it is not feasible either.)
But now we are made to feel as if we are in a state of perpetual threat. We are not in Israel for God’s sake!! And this is not Orwellian 1984 either.
Coming back to Jadhavpur University, the budget towards CCTV installation is 16 lakhs!! Students instead demand better campus facilities and medical provisions. Appeals were sent in to principal (who is still locked in as I type) which were refused. A peaceful protest followed. Nothing worked. So students resorted to lockout. Most of those who gave TV byte criticised the decision as infringement of their privacy. An EX student of the University expressed this as a usual attempt at suppression whenever there arise democratic aspirations.
Such moves undermine human dignity. Undue restrictions on human beings must be resisted. Let us be free. And let us be free.
