Re: [WhatsUpUoH] Grievance against security

Hi,

A few weeks ago, a friend and I were walking towards the small gate from Yoga Centre at around 4 pm. While approaching the small gate, we saw a convoy of vehicles (including cars, and bikes and a bus as I vaguely remember) at small gate and it appeared to us that something was going on there. Once we reached the scene, we saw a group of bikers in similar t-shirts waving flags and all while a big van was trying to drive away from the small gate. We mistook the convoy as that of a politician's while wondering who that was, and what the person and the cavalcade was doing here, especially when politicians and activists were not allowed inside and that too during the summer holidays. 

Much to our amazement,we were told by two students who had been there since some time that the convoy belonged to a shooting unit. Apparently a Telugu film star and his crew had smoothly entered the campus through small gate for shooting without prior permission. They also told us that once the crew was inside, the 'agile' security, on 'discovering' their purpose redirected them to the main gate. It appeared that we were walking right into the pandemonium. I wonder how many in the campus even know of this incident.

So Mohan, please be assured that unless you are well-connected like this star, the 'agility' of the security will submit you to the strictest of scrutiny. And you must abide by the rules and be a good student and stop complaining.

Cheers,

Greeshma Justin John

Centre for Regional Studies

School of Social Sciences

University of Hyderabad 

On Mon, Jul 4, 2016 at 1:49 AM, Mohan K. Pillai <mohan@uohyd.ac.in> wrote:

Dear Prof. Appa Rao,

I write to you to report an incident that occurred tonight, which has left me deeply aggrieved. I was behaved to in rude and unacceptable manner by the university contract security. I hope that you will take the time to read this email and take the needful action.

I was delivering a friend's bike from Gachibowli that had a puncture on the back wheel. The bike lost more air as I was riding it, and was wavering out of control. I was quite tense by the time I reached the small gate, at around 11-11.15pm (July 3rd). I pulled the bike up to the small gate, which was locked, and requested the security to let me through.

The bike had a student's sticker (my friend, the owner of the bike, is also a university student). They (four Agile security men) told me to go to the main gate. I told them that this was a bit of an emergency, that my bike had no air, and I couldn't possibly drive it till the main gate. I requested them to open the gate. Without even getting up from their seats to check, they told me again to go to the main gate. At this point, I was desperate, and I pleaded with them to let me through, saying that it was with much difficulty that I got the bike till here. Very callously, one of them, who seemed to be the leader of the four who were on duty, snidely said that if it didn't have air, how did I drive it till here, and anyway I should have gotten the air filled before I came.

I parked the bike outside, came in walking, and explained that I understand the rules, but this was not a usual situation, and I need help. There was a fair bit of traffic on the road and it seemed very dangerous for me to be driving a vehicle that was wavering. Again, quite callously, he replied that it was none of their business what I do with the bike or how I drove it till here. Again I tried explaining that I couldn't possibly drive it further because it was dangerous, and which they said that it was none of their business, and they wouldn't open the gate. He told me "However you came till here, go like that to main gate". Do note that they did not ask me for my id card even then.

I was quite tense, and being behaved to thus, I was beginning to get worked up. I demanded that the main security be phoned so that I could explain the situation and ask them to let me in. They refused to call the main security, and mockingly said that they themselves were the main security. At this, I lost my temper. I took my own phone and started calling the main security, which they tried to dissuade me from doing, saying that it wasn't going to help. Finally, when the I made the call, one of the four acquiesced and asked to see my id card. After checking my id card, he opened the gate for me.

My friends who had followed on an auto joined me by then, and the three of us tried talking to the security saying this was not the way to do things, and they should understand when there is a special situation. The security kept being cold and said things like "I don't care how he has driven the bike or what happens to him, we have rules".

As we were walking away, the patrol vehicle with two of our own university security came by; we hailed them and reported to the problem to them. To their credit, they patiently listened and said they would talk to the contract security staff.

I wouldn't usually report stuff like this, not wanting to put jobs at risk. But I do believe that what happened to me today was crossing a line. My safety and security were at risk, and I was pleading with them to let me in - instead of even walking up to see what was wrong, they just ordered me to go to the main gate. Such arrogance and callousness is unacceptable. I would think it is their duty to let me inside the campus, since I am a bonafide student. It would also be their duty to help me if I had some trouble. If we just need entities that obey categorical rules, why do we need humans with cognitive capabilities, why not invest in automated gates or something? In any case, even if they were just obeying orders, I would think they are duty bound to call their superiors when someone asks them to, which they refused to do. Instead, they kept telling me to do something dangerous - drive a wavering bike with a flat tire for another couple of kilometres through a road with a fair amount of traffic even at that time. Even when I explained my difficulty, they insisted that I go to main gate, and I believe that they were thus putting my life at risk.

Why is the university using up taxpayers' money to pay security who don't give a damn about the lives of the people they are supposed to protect?

I request you to order an inquiry into the incident, and take action against the security people who have showed such a cavalier attitude to a student in need.

More importantly, and this being the reason I'm writing to you directly, please do review the security situation which has allowed events like this to fester. Residents on campus are put to a lot of grievance because of arbitrary actions by the security. There is a lot of frustration and hate building up. Sometimes delivery people and taxis are not allowed inside; sometimes they are. Just a couple of weeks back, a senior faculty who was visiting my department as an external examiner for a PhD defence was harassed at the main gate - his ID card which showed him as a professor at IISER and the explanation for his visit was deemed not valid to let him through. I understand the need for security, and some reservations you might have, but is such paranoia necessary? A plan needs to be worked out for the security, such that we can keep our campus secure but not at the cost of the safety of its residents or abuse of its visitors.

I sincerely hope that you will take positive action to save the unique culture that this university has. My term here has come to an end and I'm leaving the university soon, but I hope that you will act such that our campus offers a good experience to its residents.

Thank you,

Mohan

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