Times have changed. Quite literally. A major change that students (those residing in MU Hostels) experienced was a notice announcing the change in curfew hours. The upper limit of Hostel entry time, which was 12 o’ clock midnight, was changed to 11 o’ clock. Likewise the Health Sciences Library had its time of closure reduced from 11.30 to 10 o’ clock. The decision was taken at a recent meeting held with Superintendent of Police and other officials in view of security situation.
While this exasperated some, others appreciated it and for the rest ‘it didnt matter’.
So what is the exasperation about? There are people who liken the decision to a stifling of freedom. They believe that such a forced decision takes away the ‘cool’ tag from campus life. That extra hour of fun, relaxing, cutting loose, time spent with friends, boyfriends and girlfriends is their right (even if not fundamental) and should not be snatched away. The unhappier lot thinks that 11 is too early to get back to your rooms. The ‘library people’ (you know who you are) are fuming as it takes away an hour of study, which they do best in the library.
The set of people who are happy with it are happy because they feel 11 in the night is not ‘too early’ by any stretch of imagination. That more and more hours let outside are recipes to brew trouble. And at the time when there is a percieved security issue, it is better to be safe, even if it means coming back to hostels little early. The ‘library people’ supporting the decision have a realization that taking away one hour from the entire library time would not make a difference in the ‘productive’ hours.
For people to whom the decision doesnt matter might fall in many categories. Ones who do not go to library, they like studying in their rooms. The students staying in appartments and also not going to library are least concerned. There are anyway appartments with stricter rules than the one which is subject to discussion now. Also people who do not like venturing out to ‘social hangouts’ (read whatever you wish to) are not fluttered by the decision.
Is the change of timings good or bad? It is only human to reject ‘change’. The moment a change, especially ones that affects our daily routine, is enforced, we react. We react all the more if we have not been part of making the decision of the change. However we may pose to ourselves some questions – can we be part of any and every decision that affects us? Are we willing to believe that there indeed is a security risk that authorities have assessed.
Coming to the time per se, I recall when I was a student and used to inform my friends and family about the curfew timing of midnight, they used to be shocked. For the reason that many institutions, reputed ones, do have much stricter time policies. When I was a in my graduation we used to get back by 7.30. But times have changed. The average sleeping time has been pushed to much later. My friends will cite me as an example to that effect. Hence the question, is 11 o clock in the night ‘early’ to get back to hostel?
It probably is because we were used to 12 that we are unhappy about it. It is probably the good we see in the change of time that we are happy about it. Amidst all the wide range of emotions it has evoked, the change is here to stay. Until it is changed again.
(The views expressed are of the author and has no relation to policy matters)
10 pm, NITK Surathkal. Be happy 😛
As I mentioned, while on one hand top notch institutes, NITK included, have such timings, some even earlier, JNU and many others do not have any curfew timings at all.
Oh wait. 10 pm for the ladies only B-) We have ‘flexible’ timings.
LOL 😀
Best hostel of MU — NBQ — Always open —-
And that Saumen is because of the fact that PG’s who have postings at night and researchers who have various kind of timings reside there… 🙂
They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.- Benjamin Franklin……..now of course people would argue about the importance of ‘liberty’ of and permanence of ‘safety’….let us remember that this verdict of reducing the curfew timings is nothing but a reaction to the sick act that took place in mangalore……i believe that the reduction in d curfew timings achieves nothing else than strengthen d case of these bastards masquerading as d self appointed protectors of ur ‘morality’………but den again who am I to argue with an author who in addition to being the warden of one d university hostels is also unbiased, with ‘no relation to policy matters’……(sarcasm intended)
Sai Kirishna, The quote is wonderful. However there is possibly much more into the decision than the Mlore incident. And as far as my being warden of couple of hostels, that is unrelated to my views, which both appreciate the decision on one front and express apprehensions on the other…
I hope you had made your apprehensions clearer…..u r right, there’s more to this dan mangalore..its a gnawing fear that someone somewhere is having fun that has seemingly enveloped our society…..you have every right to ur views..convictions…and ur biases my grudge is not against dem…what i have a problem with is that you chose to not make an evident conflict of interest apparent….as a warden who has a direct role in enforcing if not deciding the curfew timings…don’t you think that ur responsibilities have some bearing on ur views?….anyone reading d article deserves to be made aware of that critical context….having said that..in retrospect, the previous comment came off as a bit impertinent I thought…I apologise for that…..
Well, first things first, my role as enforcer is not attached to my views. Enforcing is my duty and my job. Also i endorse the decision Sai, I do not think there is any angle of deep devious stifling of rights in it. As a writer I have just tried to project both or rather three sets of views. PS: your comment dint come off as too impertinent, and no apologies required.
ur comments are jus right on man…..truly wrote the same things in my blog but the quote ,its jus tooo gud
i can see the future..oh yes..yes i do..where people come out only when the sun is out..oh! no wait!..this already happened thousands of years ago..when cave men and women were afraid that ferocious animals would pounce on them as soon as they step out in the dark..thank you for pushing our society back into stone-age mode.. i feel so sorry for the dying breed of MU officials..incompetence in handling situations seems to be a prerequisite for all MU decision makers..well i am so happy this is my final year.. i ll be out of here before i even know it..do what you want.. and god help my juniors..in the future i would never suggest anyone i know to join “Manipal University”.
Interesting comments. But i wonder, how do you exactly think changing the timings will push students of MU to dark ages?
I overall liked the article as it addressed a topic that no other faculty has shed much light on. But I did not agree with the writers comment when he said “There are anyway appartments with stricter rules than the one which is subject to discussion now.” I interpret this statement as an exaggeration and I believe it is meant to justify the writers view point that the hostel curfew is not out of the norm and is actually quite lenient. Though the writer did not mention specific apartment buildings, from my experiences I ascertain that the buildings in question are mandavi pearl city and mandavi emerald. It is correct to say that both buildings have strict rules such as a 10 30 (in the case of pearl city curfew) for guests, it does not hand down any penalties for their tenants returning later than the listed time. To say apartments have stricter rules than hostels is pure fiction and next time the writer should check the factuality of his statements.