A farewell festivity at a government college in Dakshina Kannada saw students tearing their college uniforms and writing messages on each other's clothes during the event.
The incident took place at Government College, Haleyangadi, where the last year's students were celebrating their last day on campus. Videos of the celebration have already gone viral on social media, provoking sharp responses from the public.
As seen at times in pictures and videos on the internet, students are pulling and tearing each other’s uniforms into pieces while laughing and celebrating. Some students also appear to be signing each other’s uniforms with permanent markers, a typical practice of farewell celebrations in some schools.
The students may have viewed the activity as a fun way to mark the end of their college life, but the videos have been viewed negatively by many social media users.
Some netizens argued that a college uniform is a sign of discipline, equality, and respect, and that intentionally damaging it is bad for the values college students want to be taught. Most of them said farewell should be meaningful and not be done to send off a message that could be perceived as disrespectful to the institution.
Some social media users also questioned whether college authorities had given permission for such celebrations and whether there was sufficient supervision at the event. Educational institutions should also set clear parameters for farewell programmes to make sure celebrations are safe as well as respectful, they said.
But some people defended the students, saying that there’s a tradition in many colleges around the country of signing uniforms and celebrating the last day. “And you know, in a lot of cases, the intention is to keep a record and keep a friendship and not to be disrespectful,” they argued.
The incident has reignited discussions about student conduct, campus discipline, and the appropriate way to celebrate academic milestones. Education professionals say farewell events should instill a sense of fondness for good memories with respect for institutions and public property.
As of now, no official response from the college administration to the viral videos, and if any disciplinary action will be taken. It is also not clear whether the celebrations were organized with prior approval from the institution.
The viral clip is still being circulated online, and there is a debate over where youthful celebration ends and irresponsible behaviour begins. This is one of the greatest examples of how quickly people can see things on mobile phones in this age of social media.
