Jaipur: As an outcome of the ‘guru-disciple’ dialogue ostensibly started by the Rajasthan higher education department to provide a ‘great platform for youth to keep their point of view’, the state government has issued a ‘dress code’ order to all government colleges asking girls to wear either uniform coloured salwar suits (with chunni) or saris to class.

The order was issued on March 4 by the directorate for college education.

According to the authorities, the demand for a ‘uniform’ was initiated by students themselves at the ‘guru-disciple’ dialogue programme organised last year in Alwar where students and teachers from 11 state colleges interacted with the higher education minister and the college commissioner.

Speaking to The Wire, Jyotsna Bharadwaj, joint director (administration) at the state directorate of college education said, “We don’t have any role in this order, the students had put before the minister that students from other colleges come in their college and hence, to restrict that, there should be a dress code. That’s the reason we have asked the colleges to send us the colour of the uniform after negotiating with senior faculty members and students’ union representatives.”

When asked whether girls will be allowed to come to class only in salwar suits or saris, she said, “What issue will we have if our daughters wear pants and shirts? The directions to wear sari and salwar suit were given for married girls whose in-laws don’t let them come to the college without a sari, but the final call on this matter will depend upon feedback from students and, of course, the government.”

However, when The Wire spoke to the students, they denied any such demand being raised by them.

“Who raised the demand for uniform in colleges? Our representatives who went for the dialogue didn’t speak about it, then why is it being imposed on us. We are not in favour of a dress code in colleges, forget sari/salwar suit,” said Gargi, who is a Bachelor of Visual Arts student at the Rajasthan School of Arts.

Even those who attended the programme were not aware about the college/colleges that raised the demand for a uniform.

“What? They had an issue that students from other colleges get into their campus? We don’t have time to go to our own college, why will we go to someone else’s college? If the problem is other students entering the college then they should appoint a security guard. What purpose will a uniform serve?” said a government college student who didn’t wish to be named.

“The interaction between students and the minister was private. Only one college at a time interacted with the minister. So, we don’t know which college raised this demand,” Giriraj, BVA final year student at the Rajasthan School of Arts, who was present at the ‘guru-disciple’ programme, told The Wire.

The students say they had listed several other problems in their colleges but those were never taken care of the way the alleged demand for a uniform has been.

“At the programme, we raised the issue of fixing our lab equipment but until now only one machine has been repaired,” he added.

When the college principals held a meeting with the respective student unions to finalise the colour (of the uniform), they submitted their feedback against the dress code, especially the restriction on the girls.

“Girls were against restrictions on them on wearing sari and salwar suit. So, we submitted a letter to the principal to let the girls wear pants and shirts like us, if a colour code is necessary” Hariom Singhal, president, students’ union of government college in Jaipur told The Wire.

However, whether the feedback of students will be taken further to the directorate or not remains to be seen.

“We were asked to submit the colour of the dress code specified for girls and boys in the order and we did that. What changes can we make in the order?” said Pushpa Pareek, a senior lecturer who is currently temporary principal at government college, Jaipur.

Despite the order clearly specifiying that girls can wear only salwar suit and sari, some say that girls are not exempted from wearing pants and shirts.

“There is nothing in the order that says girls can’t wear pants and shirts, it was actually a ‘typing mistake.’ Perhaps, the typist must have thought that he has already written pants and shirts above so why repeat now,” said Bharadwaj.

“Sari-blouse and salwar suit were mentioned keeping in mind married girls, but the media can make an issue out of any decent order,” she added.

Calling for immediate withdrawal of the order, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) general secretary Kavita Srivastava said, “Limiting the clothing to just salwar suit and sari in these times is throttling the students’ freedom to choose how they wish to express themselves. This is outrageous and must be withdrawn.”

The official press release of the ‘guru-disciple’ dialogue programme held in Alwar last year noted that students had also suggested the daily singing of the national anthem and national song in their colleges.