Balochistan Point Voice of Nation
By: Mannan Samad
Harassment scandal, at University of Balochistan, has sparked an unprecedented confusion in social media in the past few days. Different Councils, Students Organizations and Civil Societies organised protest demonstrations against this heinous act and expressed their outrage and indignation against the herd of ‘educated harassers’ and demanded earlier resignation of the Vice Chancellor of University of university.
Consequently, the VC had temporarily stepped down till the completion of FIA inquiry. But it is astounding to jot down that no action, so far, has been taken on behalf of provincial government since its prevailing silence has raised a plethora of questions regarding this horrible incident.
It was an extremely embarrassing revelation that female students were sexually harassed and blackmailed by security staff in the patronizing of Vice Chancellor through covert CCTV cameras which is the most staggering disclosure among the educational institutions in the history of the country.
Blackmailing and sexual intimidation are not novice in educational institutions. But recent harassment has jolted entire humankind because of involvement of ‘educated ignorants’. According to a recent statement issued in social media that around 5,000 videos were recorded via secretly placed CCTV cameras since 2004 and then were blackmailed and sexually harassed which is truly disgusting.
Harassment is a form of gender discrimination and it is an utter breach of human rights because it violates physical, mental, verbal, moral and ethnic emancipation of the person. Harassment is an idea which needs to be trounced as it itself does not actually exit. The move being carried our in social media for several days should be based on weeding out this wicked doctrine.
According to many sources, students are quiting their education partially and returning to their homes hailing to far-flung areas of the province owing to the mental strain and incessant pressure of the their families which is indeed a matter of concern. This will, undoubtedly, affacts the literacy proportion of female adversely in the already marginalized province in terms of education.
This scandal has largely puzzled and bewildered the parents across the province and resultantly, parents are hesitating in sending their children in educational institutions. It is highly devastating that, parents, now, preferring their children to sit homes instead of putting their dignity at jeopardy.
The spokesperson of Balochistan Government has recently tweeted that educational institutions are under the Governor not Chief Minister (CM). But I would like to add knowledge and tell spokesperson that education has become a provincial subject after the implementation of 18th amendment.
However, this statement has unveiled the incompetency of the incumbent government and further tells us that chief minister is running the province without any specific authority and putting the future of its people at statke.
The investigation of blackmailing scandal is at loose and the case is being covered up allegedly while the members of provincial assembly are engrossed at demeaning and lashing out at one another. They perpetually shift allegations onto others instead of proper legislation and redressing public solemn grievances.
But the unrestricted campaign of youth generation against the administration is inevitable. We demand an open and impartial trail for all culprits involved in this callous tactic and should be bought into justice as early as possible.
All perpetrators should be sacked from the varsity and should face the full wrath of law and regulation. Beside this, the provincial government must undertake the control of public universities and should ensure the parents that such practices are not repeated in educational institutions.
Published in The Balochistan Point on October 24, 2019
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this blog are those of the writer and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them
