FAR FAR AWAY FROM THE HOSTEL: DAY SCHOLARS AND PARKING ISSUES

A wise man once said, ‘Life is unfair’ and till date there have been countless occasions wherein the verbal wisdom of the insighted man, carefully knitted in realistic words has come true. The Army Institute of Law, basks on the presence of its hostellers and hostellers alone and the minority group, the outsiders, the day scholars are often seen as on and off Aliens with an absolutely different life outside the strictly guarded Gates of our college. Where hostellers have real issues like what is there for snacks? and when would the warden be on leave? (If you know what I mean), the day scholars can only enjoy the confusions manifested in the hostel from a distance and honestly, can’t do much about them.

However, there has never been a minority without a set of problems and ask any day scholar one of the biggest issue on their list of rants would be the discrimination that has been allowed by the college authorities in the context of parking of cars and motor vehicles.

Now there are two parking areas, and for the last four years the author has grown to believe that those are the only two areas where the cars can be parked. However, ever since this semester started there was a very expensive car parked right behind the Principal’s office perpetually everyday, beautifully gleaming in its superiority over the other cars that stand no chance in front of its grandiose and grace. That parking irked every other day ski, just like it did to the author- Special Parking in a Law College, why?

We are all in a Legal institution, that bases its foundational education on the tenets of the Indian Constitution- Equality is what we have sipped all through our quest with the herculean subject. Yet, on such a small issue of car parking there was discrimination that was being done.

After, some raised eye brows there began rumours- ‘Ive heard that the parking is allowed because its an expensive car.’ and so on and so forth.

Well, that may or may not have been the reason but that was something which triggered an everyday chain reaction wherein the author with her little hatchback made sure that she parked if not on the place of the big grand car but maybe half a metre away from it. To her surprise, she was questioned by the college guards on the direction of a Punjab Police clad uniform man, as to how could she dare to park on that spot?

When the author didn’t budge from her space, the Punjab Police clad man with two of his shirt buttons opened personally questioned the author behind her reasons to park at that glistened spot.

It only takes one to start a team!

Right From the next day, every other day scholar started parking around the same area showing solidarity with the cause of the college stratifying its students into VIP’s and not so VIP. By the way this article or little movement had nothing to do with the great grand car, but it was more to do with the principle that the authorities were following. The principle of inequality, the principle of differentiation based on the shape, cost and the image of the car.

The other day, to the author’s surprise there were planters that were barring the disputed parking spot which again were placed because the authorities wanted to only stop the other cars from being parked there than the classy grand one. However , the very righteous BATMAN of our college took a stand and got the place barred for every driver.

Yet again this is a small issue, a very teeny tiny one but in an educational institution the authorities should give precedence and advantage to students on their own merits and not on what each of us has inherited or owns. It is the only space in the whole wide world that can instil in us, the fact that its our intellect that shall take us to places way more than our money ever can.