Varsity expels couple over display of affection

Viral video draws mixed reaction on social media

LAHORE:

Two students were expelled from a private university over a 'public proposal for marriage' whose video clip was shared extensively on the social media.

The management of the University of Lahore expelled both the students for making and accepting the marriage proposal and hugging each other amid a crowd. When the video of the incident went viral on the internet, the university administration expelled both of them and banned their entry into the campus.

There has been a mixed reaction on social media to the issue. Some people think that it is better to express love in public than to do such acts in secret. However, some people say the university has made the right decision because such incidents deprive many girls of an education because parents get a wrong impression about the environment in universities. Dr Shahbaz Gill, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication, also expressed his views on the issue, saying that these are still young children who are unaware of many of the complexities of life.

“It is true that they should have avoided hugging in public in view of their culture and civilization but expelling them from the university is not the solution. Give them a minor punishment. Getting an education is a fundamental right,” he said.

The video of the students who embraced after getting engaged on campus spread on social media earlier this week.

In the clip, a female university student gets down on a knee and proposes to the boy. The couple can then be seen hugging and holding bouquets as onlookers cheer them on and film the scene. The management said the pair had acted "in violation of university rules".

It added in a statement on Friday that they had failed to appear for a disciplinary hearing and were later expelled for "serious infraction of the code of conduct".

The couple have reportedly refused to apologise. "We did nothing wrong, and we are not sorry for this," the girl tweeted. "Can anyone explain to us what wrong we did by proposing in public in University of Lahore?," her fiance said, adding that couples had previously proposed to each other on campus. They said they had received online threats for the show of affection.

Criticising the university's decision, the Progressive Students' Collective union on Saturday tweeted that "moral policing in universities has become a norm lately". Some universities in Pakistan have barred female students from wearing jeans, tank-tops or makeup, while others regulate interactions between male and female students.

Annual rallies calling for women's rights have also received a backlash since they first began in Karachi in 2018, including legal challenges to have them banned.

*With additional input from APP

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2021.