India: Students forced to take off underwear for menstrual tests

College hostel students in the western Indian state of Gujarat have complained that they were forced to go underwear in front of female teachers for menstruation. According to the BBC report, college students said that the 68-year-old woman took them out of the class to the toilet and ordered them to be taken individually. The incident took place at the Shri Sahanjanand Girls Institute (SSGI) in Gujarat, which is run by the conservative Hindu group Swaminarayan sect. The administration had complained to the college principal that some students were not following the menstruation rules and were coming to the menstruation classroom. According to the rules laid down by the college's conservative Hindu guru Swaminarayan sect, women are not allowed to enter temples and kitchens during menstruation. In addition, the student cannot touch his / her fellow student during menstruation. According to college rules, during meal times, the students will eat separately and wash their own dishes. In addition, during menstruation, she will sit at the end of the room. It was stated that a register has been set up at the students' hostel which details the beginning of the menstrual period so that the college administration can identify the students. When a student did not enroll in the register during two months, the students complained and the hostel administration and the principal abused the students on separate days. One student's father said that when he arrived at the college, his daughter and several other students approached him and started crying. The students told them, "They are in shock." In addition, a group of students staged a protest on campus and demanded action against college officials who humiliated them. College trustee Parveen Pandoria said the incident was "tragic". He further said that an inquiry has been ordered and action will be taken against anyone found guilty of wrongdoing. On the other hand, Darshana Dhulkia, Vice-Chancellor of the college affiliated university, accused the students of violating the rules of the college. He added that some of the students also apologized to me. However, some students told BBC Gujarati that they were under intense pressure from school authorities to discuss the incident and not mention their problems to anyone. In addition, the Gujarat State Women's Commission ordered an investigation into the 'shameful incident' and asked the students to 'report their complaints fearlessly and file a complaint at the police station. It may be recalled that three years ago, a female warden burnt 70 students after receiving blood at the door of a residential school in the northern part of India. Conservative Hindus in India are widely discriminated against because of menstruation. Menstruating women are considered unclean and are expelled from social and religious ceremonies. Admission to temples is prohibited and excluded from kitchens.