The Unspeakable Demand: When Dignity Was Stripped Bare in Haryana's Corridors of Academia

You know, sometimes, stories surface that just... well, they make your stomach churn. They hit you not just with the facts, but with the sheer audacity of it all, leaving you wondering about the very fabric of humanity. This, for all intents and purposes, is one of those stories, unfolding in the rather unlikely setting of a Haryana university, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh University (CRSU) in Jind, to be precise.

Imagine, if you can, being a woman, a contractual employee, simply trying to navigate your professional life. And then, when you request a period leave – a basic, biological reality for half the world's population – you're met with an unthinkable demand. Not a doctor's note, not a simple confirmation, but a literal command to provide photographic evidence. Of your used sanitary pads. As proof. Honestly, it’s a grotesque violation that’s almost too surreal to comprehend.

But then, perhaps the most egregious detail—the absolute nadir of this invasion—was the alleged threat looming over these women: fail to comply, and your salary would be cut. Can you even begin to fathom the immense pressure, the utter humiliation, and the power imbalance at play here? It speaks volumes, doesn't it, about the environment these women were forced to endure, many of whom, let’s not forget, are in precarious contractual roles, making them especially vulnerable.

The finger of accusation, in truth, points squarely at certain male supervisors within the university, specifically the Dean of Students' Welfare, Rajesh Kumar, and a clerk named Sandeep. These individuals, it's claimed, were the architects of this deeply disturbing practice, one that had reportedly been ongoing for months, festering in the quiet corners of the university until one brave woman finally broke her silence.

It wasn't easy, of course. Speaking out against those in power rarely is. But her ordeal, once shared with a women's rights organization, finally brought the sordid details into the harsh light of public scrutiny. An FIR has since been lodged, citing sections of the IPC related to voyeurism and insulting the modesty of a woman, along with charges under the IT Act. And rightly so, you could argue, given the egregious nature of the demands.

The university's response, through its Registrar Lovekesh Sharma, has been a condemnation of the incident, with assurances of a departmental inquiry and strict action. They also clarified, interestingly enough, that while period leave for contractual staff wasn't formally codified, it was often granted on trust. A trust, it seems, that was not only betrayed but ruthlessly exploited in the most demeaning way imaginable.

This isn't just about a policy misunderstanding or a bureaucratic lapse; it’s about a profound disregard for human dignity, for a woman’s bodily autonomy, and frankly, for basic common sense. It’s a chilling reminder, isn't it, of how deeply ingrained patriarchal attitudes can still be, even in institutions that are meant to foster enlightenment and respect. This incident at CRSU isn't merely a local scandal; it’s a glaring symptom of a larger, systemic problem that demands our collective outrage and, crucially, immediate, decisive action.