Newindpress

Mangalore, Jul 25: The vandalism at a private paying guest hostel, behind Besant Womens College, reinforces a two year-old demand on regulating private paying guest (PG) hostels in city.

Sunday’s vandalism is seen as a retaliation to the humiliation meted out two youths including one Ajji Kurien, a former inmate of hostel and a student of SDM BBM College.

Three days before the vandalism, Bharke police had slapped a case against Maaza PG hostel owner Salam on charges for detaining a youth and assaulting another in the hostel premises.

The eight month-old PG hostel run from a rented building is always teeming with boisterous activity disturbing the tranquility, neighbours complained.

The opinion would be strikingly close to a collective response, if there would be any, in neighbourhoods which have PG hostels for both boys and girls.

A need for a close observation of these private PG hostels was first stressed in a meeting of hostel wardens and principals of colleges in city, convened in August 2005 by then IGP (Western Range) K S Suresh Babu. Wardens of hostels attached to colleges had expressed apprehension of the education system in district being sullied by a few dysfunctional private PG hostels.

The apprehensions were vindicated by a damning survey on hostels released by city based LINK De-Addiction and Rehabilitation centre in May 2006.

The findings revealed how hostels in city were at high risk to drug abuse. A huge chunk of college students staying in hostels or as paying guests in city were found to be habitual users of drugs.

The study covering 50 students addicted to drugs revealed 62 per cent among them were habitual users of drugs. The report also concluded that 64 per cent took to drugs due to peer pressure and for enjoyment. Parents (80 per cent) were in dark about their children’s drug abuse and paid scant attention to how their children were spending money.

Prof Hilda Rayappan of Prajna Counselling centre said most of the ‘conduct and behaviour disorder’ cases pouring to her centre were from PG hostels for girls. There are no controls and girls are free to walk in at any unearthly hour, she said. With more number of new colleges adding to existing ones, PG hostels are mushrooming in every nook and corner of city.

The time is ripe now for regulators to place these PG hostels on a tight leash.