On Valentine's Day, St Stephen's boys pledge to promote misogyny and philandering

Authorities are mulling action after a group of boys at the prestigious St Stephen's College pledged to promote "misogyny" and "philandering" on Valentine's Day. Some boys from the Allnutt hostel block, who are part of Allnutt North Gentlemen's Association (ANGA), took the oath on February 14 at the hostel campus in a brief "ceremony" which the students claim is part of an "old-age Stephanion tradition".

The video of the oath ceremony is doing rounds on social media, driving criticism for St Stephen's authorities for having permitted such an event. "We the people of ANGA, have solemnly resolved to constitute ANGA into a paramount egalitarian fellowship and to secure to all its members-justice, social, sexual and sentimental liberty-to philander exclusively with men, equality of status and opportunity and to promote among them all misogyny assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of ANGA.

Hail ANGA!", the students are heard saying inchorus in the video. The video has sparked outrage on social media where"Pinjra Tod", a group of female students fighting against discriminatory hostel rules for girls, condemned the event.

"What makes the bigotry of spaces like St Stephen's especially complex, is the fervent belief that within these allegedly liberal walls, questions of equality are pointless and passe," they said.

College principal John Varghese, when contacted, said he was unaware of such an event. "There is no such tradition and I'm not aware of any such event held on campus. If such a thing has happened thestudents concerned will have to face action. We are looking into the issue," he said.