They organised online campaigns, cycle rallies, and street protests and wrote mass petitions. But the powers that be did not budge from their conservative standpoints. Now, the students of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram (CET), who are behind the ‘Break the curfew’ protest movement demanding extension of the women’s hostel timing, have come out in defiance of the rules, by refusing to enter the hostel even after the deadline.

On Wednesday, almost 300 students of the women’s hostel, sat outside the college building, after the 6.30 p.m. deadline. The protest, to which many did not warm up initially, has over the past weeks gained widespread support from cultural and political personalities. But the authorities remained adamant in their stand.

“When we gave the notice of this protest to the authorities, they tried to stop it in many ways. First they said, they will deny permission for the upcoming hostel day celebrations. Then they said they will call up the parents of all the students who join the protest. But the overwhelming participation today is a sign that such intimidation would not work,” said one of the students.

The students started the protest a few weeks ago, highlighting the ‘blatant inequality’ in having a deadline only for the women’s hostel. With the library functioning till 8 p.m. and the computer lab open till 9 p.m., they questioned the logic in asking just the girl students to be present in the hostel before 6.30 p.m. They also raised the issue of how female students are given easier project subjects which does not require them to spend too much time outdoors. The hostellers, who are all from other districts, have found the deadlines difficult to meet when they travel to their hometowns.

When the authorities raised the issue of girls’ security to justify their stand, they pointed out the lack of deadline for the students of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, located on the same campus.

“In major universities such as the Central University of Hyderabad and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, there is no such deadline and no girl is facing any issue there,” said another protester.

With the library functioning till 8 p.m. and the computer lab open till 9 p.m., students question the logic of the 6.30 p.m. deadline for the girls’ hostel.