Kerala education minister sticks to his comment that girls and boys cannot share a bench

Kerala education minister PK Abdu Rabb  is unapologetic about his comments that girls and boys must not sit together on a bench.

He stuck to his statement and said, “I only said what I believed in and I cannot change it. Media has no other work than to make an issue out of everything.”

On November 16, questioned the need for girls and boys sitting together on a bench. This was in connection with the suspension of a student of Farook College in Kozhikode district, who had questioned the college’s decision of not letting female and male students sit together.

"It is not a fair practice, for studying it is not necessary that boys and girls should share benches. Boys can sit next to girls, if they are sitting in separate chairs," the minister had said.

Dinu V, a first year postgraduate student was suspended indefinitely for questioning the college over its policy of segregating female and male students.

On October 20, Dinu and eight other students were asked to leave the class and warned not to enter the campus till they brought their parents, as the boys and girls had shared benches during their Malayalam language class.

All those who gave an apology letter to the management were reinstated, while Dinu continued to fight against gender discrimination in the college.

Although Kerala High Court had stayed Dinu's suspension for one month last Thursday, the college authorities have not yet taken any measures to reinstate him.​