Sexy Students

Tucked away at the bottom, but nevertheless on the first page of today’s Times of India (dated, March 5, 2010) is an article about proposed, and in some places already implemented “moral security forces” in India’s universities. Their job description includes the breaking up of footsies, the prevention of physical contact and the vigilance of mixed sex conversations should they stray to non-academic subjects.
It is the absence of the possibility of commenting directly (the internet has decided on a path of non-cooperation) on what I deem not only a stupidity but also a danger, I shall vent my frustrations here. Frustrations primarily because being a single white female in India brings with it constant stares, innumerable phone-calls (I heard of one case where a the caller was not satisfied even after 62! missed calls) and harassment in the form of “accidental” bumps against breasts and straying hands towards crotches (which is so rampart that the holy traveller’s bible dedicates a whole sub-chapter to the issue). These are, I firmly believe, the result of lakhs of young men who have no possibility of releasing their pent-up sexual energy in even the chaste form of footsies.
But while this is, indeed, annoying, we are privileged insofar as to be able to pack our backpacks and take a radio taxi to the nearest sparkling airport and leave, should it all become too much. But what of the young Indian women who are, not so overtly, but definitely also the victims of such actions and far more (several cases of gang-rapes were reported in February alone) and whose choices in such cases are still hampered by the idea of family honour and not losing face?
I am, in no way, advocating promiscuity, and furthermore, in a country which is now the world leader in HIV infections, more resources should be invested in sexual education. But surely there are greater problems to grapple with in the universities (according to the Economist, only about 18% of India-trained engineers are deemed “employable”) than the stroking of forearms and sitting in too close proximity on benches?