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Student Groups Carving Equality in the Varsity

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The University of Delhi (DU), despite several shortcomings, has given birth to a fair share of strong women. DU has taught and forged generations of strong women like Chhavi Rajawat, Mira Nair, and Shikha Sharma amongst others. A huge amount of credit for this goes to groups that have taken upon themselves to diffuse progressive ideas in the campus and beyond. Let us take a look at a few of these amazing associations.

Women’s Development Cells – Your Local Feminist Propaganda Machines

Women’s Development Cells (WDCs) in the University of Delhi have been created with an aim to not only try to bridge the gaps prevalent between both genders in terms of equality, but to also initiate conversation with regard to sexism, patriarchy, ignorance, and the general discrimination that is faced by women in status quo. Here is a look at the work of some of Delhi University’s very own WDCs:

Lady Shri Ram College for Women

Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) was one of the first colleges of Delhi University to start its own WDC in 1985. The WDC of LSR is also one of the most active ones, with a commanding social media presence. The team believes in initiating active conversation as it constantly promotes feminist thinking in the events organised by them. Through the last academic session, the WDC has worked with organisations like Nazariya and Eco Femme which work for the improvement of the situation of women all over India. They have organised several guest lectures, book readings, slam poetry performances, movie screenings, and an event called “In Hysterics” which invited participants to perform stand-up comedy, and merged the act of humour with feminism in Tarang-the annual cultural festival of LSR. The WDC also organised protests in their college to condemn the flinging of semen-filled balloons on students of LSR and Jesus and Mary College (JMC)

Daulat Ram College

Pragati, the Women’s Development Cell of Daulat Ram College, hosted activities that included seminars, workshops, lectures, debates, essay writing, poster making contests, field trips, film screenings, street plays, graffiti competitions, pledge walks, and filmmaking lessons. Activities organises by the cell last year included self-defense training workshops in association with the Women’s Cell of Delhi Police, collection drives in association with the NGO- Goonj, a workshop on child sexual abuse in association with Rahi Foundation, The Teach India Campaign, in association with The Times of India and British Council, I am Shakti Movement with the India Today Group, etc. The WDC of Daulat Ram College has effectively organised multiple inter-college conventional debate competitions, slam poetry events, and poster presentations on the theme- Women: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow.

Hindu College

The WDC of Hindu College was established in the year 2006. Since then, it has been committed to raise awareness about issues like female foeticide and sexual harassment. On 8th February 2018, the WDC of Hindu College collaborated with Delhi State Legal Services Authority to bring to light the legality surrounding harassment at workplace, domestic violence, and property rights. Subah is the annual bilingual magazine of the Women’s Development Cell of Hindu College. What makes this magazine standout is the fact that it is a handwritten magazine that started in 2014. Paras Arora, President, Women’s Development Cell, Hindu College, told DU Beat, “Subah has essays, book reviews, interviews, poems, and artworks by not only the students of WDC, but also the faculty, non teaching staff, and alumni of Hindu College.”

Kirori Mal College

Parivartan, the Women’s Development Cell of Kirori Mal College (KMC), organises film shows, workshops and other events on issues such as gender stereotyping, discrimination, and violence. The WDC also provides the services of a trained counsellor and hosts bi-weekly meetings called “The Forum” on issues related to gender, sexual violence, harassment, sensitisation, patriarchy, femininity, masculinity, and so forth. Parivartan organised an open-mic session to discuss gender inequality prevalent in today’s time to celebrate the occasion of International Women’s Day on 9th March 2018.

Miranda House

Miranda House has an extremely active WDC. It is popularly known as a “space for exploring gender stereotypes, making connections between private lives and public worlds, and sensitising students to a feminist understanding of their lives and contexts.” The Cell organises lectures, workshops, documentary screening, and discussions on topical, pertinent issues. They organise campaigns to raise awareness about several issues concerning women. One of the most popular events hosted by the WDC of Miranda House was called “Letters to Patriarchy” on 15th February 2018, in which the audience discussed how patriarchy is a hindrance to equality. In 2016, they collaborated with Goonj (an NGO) and organised a campaign to provide women with sanitary napkins.

Sri Venkateswara College

Shakti, the WDC of Sri Venkateswara College, is a proud feminist society that refuses to comply with gender norms or the patriarchal setting of the environment. It aims to inculcate values of gender inclusivity in its students and reduce discrimination on campus. The WDC is active and organises talks and seminars to initiate an active conversation on gender based discrimination. Shakti also organised an Entrepreneurship Talk and Women’s Conclave, Shaktiodaya, where they hosted prominent feminist scholars like Kamla Bhasin and Usha Ramanthan amongst others.

Pinjra Tod – The Coven of Witches

Pinjra Tod is an autonomous feminist collective, which comprises primarily of DU students, and has been working for the freedom of women within university spaces. Their protests and campaigns have most notably revolved around the abolishment of curfew timings which are discriminatorily implemented in women’s hostels and paying guest accommodations. Since their inception in 2015, Pinjra Tod has consistently worked towards amplifying the concerns of women by curating and creating plays, nukkad nataks, poetry sessions, group exercise sessions, public meetings, and hearings.

Thanks to the creative minds at the collective, all their events are crowned with snazzy titles like – Bus Hai Teri Meri, Chal Saheli, and a long bus ride in public transport. They have been popularly accredited with inventing famous slogans like ‘Karengay Politics, Karengay Pyaar’ and ‘ABVP Why So Creepy’. One thing that distinguishes this advocacy group is its night marches. Tinged with militancy and loud sloganeering, the night marches are held in campuses and residential colonies that house large number of students to showcase dissent against discriminatory curfew timings. They gather outside hostels and sing songs and poems of feminist struggle. Often, those who participate in these marches resort to physically breaking the hostel gates, climbing over them, and even get involved in violent altercations with opposing factions.

While speaking to DU Beat about the problems that Pinjra Tod faces, an activist said, “The greatest challenge we face is to continuously build our collective strength, and to create effective support systems for women across the different locations and experiences that we come from.” She further added, “The rising cost of education including the hostel fees and paying guest accommodation rents, surveillance on campus, the indifference of the administration are everyday challenges that we face. Lastly, the rise of the right wing in the country and the changes they are introducing in the education system and social dynamics has made things much harder for all women in society desiring to live a life of freedom and dignity.”

Nazariya – The Rainbow Mafia

This Holi, the University of Delhi (DU) saw unprecedented uproar against the prevalent harassment that plagues people, women in particular, after a student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women raised the issue of being hit by what appeared to be a balloon filled with semen. In response to this, protests and awareness campaigns were organised by several groups, and at the forefront of these protests was Nazariya. The collective was subjected to trolling on social media but instead of shying away the members reclaimed insults like “Rainbow Mafia” in a clever fashion.

Nazariya, a queer-feminist group is just six months old, but its presence can be seen across DU. They have organised stress management workshops, film screenings, panel discussions, and meetings. Slowly but steadily, their influence is growing. Talking to DU Beat about what Nazariya means, Ruth Chawngthu, a DU student and cofounder at Nazariya explained, “Nazariya means perspective, and the name was chosen to represent the fluidity of one’s perspective. Our goal at Nazariya is to normalise and destigmatise the diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, which is to say that we want to change people’s perspectives. It also means we are open to other people’s perspectives as well.”

When asked about what has been the most rewarding incident while working in this alliance, she said, “It’s kind of difficult to choose just one rewarding moment, the entire “Nazariya experience” has been rewarding. All our events till date, and all our initiatives have been executed with zero funding or backing, and were made possible solely due to the hard work and cooperation of community members. This, to me is rewarding because it shows solidarity and unity within the community which makes it distinctive.”

The Delhi University Women’s Association – Strengthening Sisterhood Since The Sixties

The history of the Delhi University Women’s Association (DUWA) is quite an interesting one. DUWA was founded in 1964, at a time when, as per the website of the association, “Women did not generally move out much and were restricted to the four walls and confined to the domestic chores.” According to alumnus of the University of Delhi, there existed a “Men’s Club” where male students and staff alike would meet for recreational activities and sports, however, there existed no such meeting place for women. Women members from the University were allowed to use the venue of the Men’s Club only on Wednesday’s, i.e. once a week.

Dr. Durgabai Deshmukh, who founded DUWA, was a freedom fighter and an advocate. She envisioned an association for the female fraternity of Delhi University. The Association culminated with the aim to benefit the female members of the staff and female family members of those in the staff of Delhi University and its affiliated institutions. The members of DUWA also provided assistance to the soldiers who had fought in the Indo-Sino War of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan war of 1965.The Association has grown significantly since 1964. In 2013, it opened the Mind and Body Centre (MBC). DUWA also houses a Souvenir Shop that started in 2014.

Today the centre provides psychological counselling as well as homeopathic and naturopathic consultation. Those visiting the facility have to pay an annual registration fee of INR 50, after which they can use the services for free. In addition to this, the centre provides free yoga classes and also hosts a day-care facility available to the children of the staff of DU. DUWA Secretary Dr. Geeta Sahare told DU Beat that the institution receives roughly about 30 consultations daily from DU employees and students. She added, “Most of our clients require counselling for psychological issues such as low self-esteem, family discords, anxiety, depression, exam-related stress, relationship problems, etc. We receive a large response particularly during the admission season, as aspirants seek guidance in their selection of college and the admission procedure.” DUWA is an extremely positive step undertaken by the University to inculcate a culture of acceptance and initiate holistic care for all clients of DUWA by tending to their emotional, physical, as well as mental health needs.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Ladies Finger

Bhavya Banerjee | [email protected] 

Niharika Dabral | [email protected]

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Pinjra Tod Demands Redressal Mechanisms Against Sexual Harassment

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In a move to struggle against the abysmal mechanisms to address sexual harassment in colleges of University of Delhi (DU), members of the Pinjra Tod, a feminist collective, came out to protest outside the Proctor’s Office, in the afternoon of 7th February 2017.

With passionate sloganeering such as “Sexual Harassment Nahi Sahenge, Saare Pinjro Ko Tod Denge” (we won’t accept sexual harassment, we’d break the cages created for women) and “Saare Chatraaye Hai Taiyyar, DU Prashasan Khabardaar” (all the women students are prepared, beware DU administration), Pinjra Tod put forth their demand of autonomous Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) with elected student and staff representatives to the Deputy Proctor.

It is noteworthy that the sexual harassment complaint filed against a professor in Daulat Ram College by a student last week is not an isolated incident. Facing sexual harassment is a lived reality for many women students on campus, the fight against which becomes particularly difficult when the complaint is against someone in a position of power, in a context where institutional mechanisms of redressal are absent or non-functional, and the complaints are regularly silenced in the name of destroying the ‘reputation’ of the college.

Despite the University Grant Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2015 mandating all colleges of the DU to constitute autonomous and elected ICCs, elections to elect representatives have not been conducted in any college besides Miranda House, Ramjas, and Hindu.Daulat Ram College, like most Delhi University colleges, does not have an ICC and no elections have been held in the college for student representatives to the ICC, as was mandated by the UGC.

Responding to passionate slogans like “Elected ICC Dena Hoga, Warna Rozz Dharna Hoga” (you’ll have to constitute elected ICCs, or else we’ll protest every day), the Deputy Proctor who had come out of his office, tried to assure the gathering by saying, “We will request all colleges to abide by the UGC Regulations and constitute elected ICCs”. Retorting to this, a Pinjra Tod member put forth a rational argument, “By the nomenclature of your position, you hold a certain kind of authority that we don’t. Requesting is not your job. You’re drawing money from the Indian government, which is why you need to get things done.”

In an emotional and spirited deliverance, senior Pinjra Tod member Subhashini declared, “Ladkiyon Ko Hostel Mei Bandh Karna Bandh Karo, Bandh Karo” (stop locking girls in hostels). On being asked by the correspondent regarding their demands, she answered, “Besides ensuring the constitution of independent ICCs, the Proctor must ensure that colleges hold compulsory gender sensitisation workshops, sessions on sexual harassment, and initiate redressal mechanisms for freshers.”

Shedding light on the importance of these ICCs to be gender neutral, Dr. Vinita Chandra, English Professor at Ramjas College, observed, “While you will not find a single girl who will say that she has not been sexually harassed in campus, boys also face sexual harassment. Men report that there is pressure on them to ‘act like a man’ by catcalling and commenting on women.” 

Further, senior Pinjra Tod member, Devangana Kalita, in her heartfelt speech questioned, “Can you guarantee that in another two weeks, all DU colleges will hold ICC elections?”, before handing over the Memorandum of demands to the Deputy Proctor.

 

Feature Image Credits: P.V. Purnima for DU Beat
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

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Hindu College

Hindu College Under Fire for Sexist Poster

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On the morning of 4th October, an image was posted by Pinjra Tod – a collective against the sexist and discriminatory practices in higher educational institutions – on its Facebook page. The image was of a poster from Hindu College, which said “Hindu mein Maal aur Maal dono milta hai”. In Hindi, the word “maal” is a slang term that is used to either refer to women in an objectifying manner, or to refer to narcotic substances.

An excerpt from Pinjra Tod’s caption sums up the view of those aghast at the language used in the poster thusly: “The many ways in which patriarchy reinforces itself every day in our campuses to convey the message that we may be studying in a university, we may be sitting in classes together, but women are to be primarily seen as sexual objects of exchange amongst men.” The poster almost seems to be bragging about the presence of women in the college, who are apparently not to be treated as equals or as peers of same intellectual calibre, but primarily as objects for men to lust over. Women are used here in the same breath as addictive substances, indicating that both are objects for pleasure. What adds to the whole issue is the fact that the poster was used during a Freshers’ party, and was probably one of the first messages that the new students picked up from their seniors regarding women’s place and perception in the institute. Universities are meant to widen horizons regarding thinking openly, but the regressive poster seems to be contributing towards promoting the opposite.

The Prime Minister of the college’s student union, Brijesh Tiwari, issued a statement that condemned the incident on Facebook. An excerpt from it said, “The Hindu College Parliament unanimously condemns the usage of such shamelessly gendered and misogynist phrases on campus or anywhere else. We at the Parliament consider it our utmost endeavour to arrive at a stage of gender equality, withering of misogynist practices and tendencies, and an overall climate of equal opportunities for all genders. We recognise how such phrases and their usage become an impediment in trying to achieve all of the above. The Parliament ensures that it will do its best to nip all such practices in the bud and to ensure that the student-driven crusade against misogyny must never be weakened.” Further, administrative lapses on part of the organisers and “deeply entrenched” misogyny that is “not a new innovation” were blamed.

This is, however, not the first instance of discrimination and sexism in Hindu College. Back in August, women students protested the administration over the differences in the hostel fees for men and women. The newly opened women’s hostel, in the college’s 118-year history, charged its residents more than double the fees charged from the men.

 

Image Credits: Pinjra Tod

Rishika Singh
[email protected]

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Campus Central

Bests and Worsts 2016: Protests, dharnas and drives

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The year 2016-17 has been a year of constant campus activity and mobility. Many protest, dharnas, drives and other such events have taken place rampantly across the campus with the students and teachers unifying to protect their cause. From student politics to intra college protests against unfair means, DU has seen yet another year of mobility and expression on campus. Here we take a look at some of the protests, dharnas and drives which shook campus:

  • May 2016- Hindu College cancels girls’ hostel admission: After heavy protest and strikes by students and teachers of the college and later by DUSU led to the intervention of Delhi Commission of Women (DSW) in the issue of exorbitant fees of Hindu College girls’ hostel, the college cancelled the girls’ hostel admissions for this year.

Read the whole story here.

  • May 2016- SFI protests against the callousness in investigating Jisha’s rape and murder case in Kerala: A huge gathering of people along with the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) participated in a protest at Kerala House against the inefficiency of the authorities and the carelessness and insensitivity with which the case has been handled. They raised their voice against the increasing brutality and offences not only against women but also against the underprivileged sectors of the society. The protest focused on how such crimes are nothing but an “exercise of naked power” on women in the patriarchal society of today.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • July 2016- DUTA protest delays results of students: Teachers of Delhi University protested against an UGC notification that increased the working hours of teachers and this led to Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) boycotting the admission and evaluation process of University. Only after the notification was withdrawn, teachers joined the evaluation process.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • August 2016- Protests at Ramjas College regarding canteen prices: Ramjas College saw organised protests held by its students on 11th August, 2016. The protest primarily targeted the exorbitant increase in prices in the canteen since the start of this academic year. The canteen staff apparently charged higher prices than those mandated by the college. In what a student called an act of “corruption,” the canteen staff would charge a first-year student INR 50 for an item that actually cost INR 30. Speaking out against this practice, a group of students spread word through social media and organised a protest by inviting the Ramjas community to gather at the college gate and march towards the canteen.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • August 2016- Protests at Daulat Ram College questioning the governing style of the chairperson: Protests regarding the governing body took place in Daulat Ram College on 6 and 8 August 2016. Both students and teachers came together to question the governing style of the chairperson, Ms Suneeta Sudarshan. The protest revolved around key infrastructure problems that the college faces, as well as the chairperson’s reluctance to handle these issues. The protest concentrated primarily on the issues of infrastructure such as unhygienic washrooms, inadequate space in classrooms, and the unstable condition of the college building itself.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • September 2016- Mass failure in Law Faculty, students protest in agitation: The students of the Law Faculty, Delhi University sat on a hunger strike from 2 pm, 14th of September. The strike was against the mass failures of students that had occurred for the second year in a row. Alleging some problems with the results, they went on an indefinite hunger strike, urging the authorities to look into their grievances.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • October 2016- Law faculty students go on hunger strike: The students of law faculty went on a hunger strike demanding supplementary exams and rechecking of their papers. The strike also found the dean of the faculty going on a parallel hunger strike. The strike was called off after discussions and assurance of the Vice Chancellor.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • October 2016- AISA’s meeting disrupted by ABVP: AISA’s seminar on ‘Idea of University’ was disrupted by ABVP members who latter even roughed up several members of AISA including its president. Both sides got into a scuffle, after which the event was cancelled. The surprising fact was, all of this happened even after heavy police presence.

Read the whole story here.

aisa-vs-abvp-the-never-ending-battle

Battle of ideologies: ABVP vs. AISA

  • December 2016- The Pinjra Tod Movement: What began as a Facebook page turned into a great call for revolution within academic institutions to relook on its hostel policies which cage students with curfew times. The movement not just grew largely in Delhi University but also spread to other parts of the country.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • February 2017- ABVP protests against Umar Khalid and disrupts two day conference: A two day seminar on Cultures of Protest, organised by Wordcraft, the Ramjas literary society and the English department of Ramjas college, was disrupted when members of the ABVP protested against Umar Khalid speaking at the conference. Khalid is a PhD scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a student activist who was slapped with sedition charges last year. ABVP’s reason for obstructing the conference was the presence of Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid, JNU students, who were amongst the speakers at the conference.

Read the whole story here.

 

  • March 2017- Students, teachers AND politicians join in thousands to protest against ABVP’S hooliganism: A historic march consisting of over a thousand students, teachers and politicians started from SGTB Khalsa College and culminated at Arts Faculty. Students and teachers from colleges across University of Delhi, Jamia Millia and JNU joined in huge numbers to protest against the hooliganism that was allegedly perpetrated by ABVP karyakartas on 22nd February at Ramjas College. The march, which was called ‘Save DU’, garnered many students who were first-time protesters.

Read the whole story here.

abvp-hooliganism-at-its-best

Scuffle between ABVP and Ramjas college students

  • April 2017- Students and Karamcharis join DUTA in its MARCH AGAINST ‘AUTONOMY): With growing demands against the grant of ‘autonomous’ status for colleges, Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) called had called for a joint protest of students, teachers and karamcharis on 29th March.

Read the whole story here.

 the-dangers-of-autonomy

Protest over the ‘dangers of autonomy’

 

Picture Credits: DU Beat Archives

Anahita Sahu

([email protected])

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Smashing sexism one letter at a time

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The academic space of university is supposed to be conducive for personal growth and in which a young woman thrives into an independent and confident person, but thanks to the regressive hostel rules and constant moral policing of the authorities; it’s actually a space which reinforces and strengthens patriarchal norms that hinders growth of female students.

Chitra Dabral, Secretary of Phrophecy- fashion society of Lady Irwin College laments, “My society members, who live in hostels, never get to enjoy even a single the star night during the fest session because of the hostel timings. What’s worse is that we often have to cancel our participation, if competitions are scheduled later than 6pm.”

While male hostel residents enjoy late nights and have lax curfews rules (none, in many cases), girls are obliged to return within the walls by as early as 7pm. Such discriminatory regulations are very conveniently justified under the grab of women’s “safety”. What authorities fail to understand is, such rules put women at further risk as they are unable to return to the hostel at night and hence have to look for shelter elsewhere. Besides, if the authorities were so concerned about the “safety” issues then they would have shown the same enthusiasm they display while exercising control, in constituting Sexual Harassment Complaints Committee Cells as per the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India.

Voices of resistance against unfair rules are cropping up across campuses. The latest case in example is the permission letter written by two students to the warden of Kaveri Hostel of Ambedkar University, Delhi.

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Letter written by two students to the warden of Kaveri Hostel of Ambedkar University, Delhi

Unlike their male counterparts, girls are asked to give explanations and seek permission to spend a few extra hours out of the hostel. In response to this “permission culture”, the girls wrote an honest letter resonating that they were “stressed and disappointed” with their academic life and hence needed a break. The picture of the letter was shared by Pinjra Tod on their Facebook Page .Talking to DUBeat, on condition of anonymity, one student of Ambedkar University confirmed that the duo was granted permission.

We don’t know if the letter was rebellion of a sort or just an honest request. Though by the looks of it, the latter seems to be the case. As they say, humor is the best way to expose the ridicule.

Feature Image Credits: The Quint

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

 

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5 Controversies of 2016 which every DU student should know

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So here we are, having survived 2016, with all the swag and luster, at Delhi University. This year shall be remembered in the academic vicinity for various reasons. As for the freshers and rest alike, whether you were basking in the carelessness of the post-war (pun intended) vacation or were getting yourselves squeezed in the queue for hours together in the ruthless Northern summer after overnight brainstorming to dismantle the enigma of the Delhi University cut offs, detrimental things were going on around you.
If you failed to pay heed to these developments, we come up with 5 controversies which made the year.

1. Something which took freshers by surprise was the boycott of the admission process by the faculty. Later, we learnt of the boycott of the evaluation process itself. This was all in response of the University Grants Commission (UGC) gazette notification, which intended to raise the working hours. Since we ended up being taught, the crisis must have been resolved.

2. The Delhi University election sent shock waves throughout September. The guidelines against the usage of paper pamphlets fell to the deaf ears of the young candidates as is the pollution in Diwali to Delhi-ites. Three out of four posts, including that of president, were bagged by ABVP, RSS’s student outfit, amidst cries of foul play by NSUI. The 4th October pictures of Amit Tanwar, the president, posing with guns in the varsity campus deepened the charges of hooliganism and criminalisation of DU politics, reducing our expectations from our leaders which had already been weakened by all the freebies.

3. The ceiling collapse on 30th August at Daulat Ram College was the frightful realisation of long time fears of all the 63 DU colleges. This incident brought into national focus the hollow claims about the infrastructure and raised many questions. Students came out on the streets asking for more washrooms, basic sanitation facilities and better heed to grievances from immediate effect.

4. 2016, to an extent, saw the Pinjra Tod movement, an initiative which grew out of a Facebook page in August, 2015 to champion the causes of women in hostels and PG, yield results. In response to the countless protest marches, curfews have been slackened, leading to the removal of guardian’s permission for leave, among many other feats. But as Sabika Naqvi rightly maintains, there is a long long way to go.

5. On 8th November, DU professor Nandini Sundar was booked on the alleged charges of murder of a tribal man Shamnath Baghel in Sukma district of Chattisgarh. She called the allegations ‘absurd’ and fittingly no new development seems on the plate.Interstingly, this is not her maiden face off with Bastar Inspector General Kalluri. Nandini Sundar had been the whistle-blower in the alleged atrocities at the hands of security forces. Earlier this year, her trip to Bastar under the alias of Richa Keshav had already flaked controversies.

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

Image credits: www.123rf.com

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Night Vigil held by Pinjra Tod disrupted by ABVP members

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Pinjra Tod

Pinjra Tod is an autonomous student-run collective effort aiming to ensure a secure and non-gender discriminatory University for all women students. They claim to be battling the university which they believe reproduces patriarchal and casteist structures by constantly seeking to regulate and control women students’ lives, mobility and sexuality through a wide range of mechanisms. On 23rd September 2016, Pinjra Tod organized a ‘Night March’ in Vijay Nagar, North Campus which aimed on reclaiming their right on the streets which they are forbidden to visit beyond their oppressive hostel and PG curfews. Pinjra Tod’s mission stated, “this time we are out on the streets to sit on a vigil against sexual harassment and rent extortion in PG’s, to ask for hostels that should be built for us, for that room that is ours no matter what time we return, for the collective spirit that threatens this patriarchal university so much”.

The march took place through the many lanes of Delhi University’s North Campus on that night in a peaceful and organized manner, after which the group collectively gathered at the Vijay Nagar tea point to begin their night vigil. As they sat on the vigil, the Pinjra Tod members put up a play which represented their daily struggles as woman in the university which was lauded by all the viewers at the tea point. All was said to be going well, when Satender Awana (ex-DUSU President from ABVP) arrived at Vijay Nagar along with his companions and placed themselves amongst the peaceful night vigil by Pinjra Tod. Their arrival followed a range of smirking, laughing and derogatory remarks by ABVP towards the protestors, it was also noted that these men took videos of protestors on their mobile phones with lewd hand gestures in display of their male entitlement over the female protestors. At the end of the play, the men from ABVP started chanting slogans of ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai!’ along with other provocative gestures towards the women which included flashing a ‘hundred rupee note’ at a protestor. On being challenged, the man caught hold of the Pinjra Tod activist’s wrists and kept tightening his grip, while attempting to corner her with his friends. This episode created a commotion at the protest area, which eventually cleared out as the men from ABVP left the spot to the activists of Pinjra Tod. This incident created an uproar amongst the female students of Delhi University towards the discriminatory nature of ABVP’s treatment towards Pinjra Tod’s vigil. In retaliation, Pinjra Tod is organizing another protest demonstration against ABVP on 20th October in the Faculty of Arts.

We were in conversation with a Pinjra Tod member who was present that night, she shared with us how the chanting of ‘Hum Bharat ki Mata nahi banenge’ by Pinjra Tod in response to ABVP was in order to instigate a feeling within these men about how women want ‘azaadi’ from these patriarchal structures of conformity which prescribes an ‘ideal woman’. She elaborated upon how the usage of lewd words by the men was an attempt towards character assassination of female students of Delhi University, and questioned their claim to be ‘student parties’ if they cannot treat the students within this university with due respect. The character assassination of women staying out ‘at night’ was an indication towards how these women are of low moral code and therefore do not have a place in their ‘savarna’ politics which is a bend towards casteism in student politics within DU. She also spoke of how the night vigil brought together all the activists of Pinjra Tod into a sense of solidarity towards reclaiming the spaces within the university which they are entitled to be in, as students.

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

 

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Women reclaim the streets: Pinjra Tod organises night march against gender biased campus laws and more

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“The desire for nights where the moon and the star is not glimpsed through barbed wires, where the sky is not forbidden through rods, through gates and locks” –  Pinjra Tod

Pinjra tod an autonomous women collective, organised a Night march in the North Campus of University of Delhi on 23rd of September. A large number of students participated to support the campaign.

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Image Credits: Pinjra Tod: Break the hostel locks/Facebook

The march was primarily organised to reiterate and implement the new UGC circular against sexual harassment. It also demanded a regulation of the exorbitant fees structures of hostels and PG’s.

A night mass of women and men, took to the streets at night and marched from Arts Faculty of Delhi University to Miranda House Hostel, Meghdoot hostel, UHW, hostels of Hindu, Hansraj and St Stephens college. They marched sloganeering through areas such as Malkagunj, Kamla Nagar and Vijay Nagar. In some cases, they climbed up the locked gates of some hostels and shouted slogans against moral policing by wardens and restrictions put on movement of women by discriminatory hostel curfews.

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Image Credits: Pinjra Tod: Break the hostel locks/Facebook

In spite of problems caused by some ABVP members, the march carried on for quite long in the night which was followed by a night vigil at Vijay Nagar.
The group also sung songs, recited poetry and danced to reclaim the night and call it their own. The mood of the march and vigil was of a serious celebration. It exercised and celebrated the freedom that Pinjra Tod demands for women and was a way of militantly reclaiming the streets denied to women at night in the pretext of ‘security’.

Featured image credits: Pinjra Tod: Break the Hostel Locks/Facebook

Tooba Towfiq
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Facing fraud and harassment by PG owner of Hudson Lines, students report to the police

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Pinjra Tod, which is a movement to secure non-discriminatory and affordable accommodation for women students, recently reported a case of fraud and harassment by a PG owner in Hudson Lines, North Campus, and the subsequent measures taken by the students of the PG.

The students of this women’s PG had been regularly facing harassment on several accounts, according to Pinjra Tod’s report. Rent agreements and receipts for rent paid were denied to them. The agreement initially had been for 11 months, after which the landlord was to reimburse the security deposit. Later, when the students were due to return home after their semester examinations, he began to insist that they stay for 12-13 months to receive reimbursement, else they would lose their deposit. Further, the students were forced to pay inflated electricity bills. Suspecting fraud, the students had turned off all electrical equipment to find that inspite of no use of electricity, the meters continued to run. The landlord and his family would also enter rooms and taunt or abuse the women.

Due to continued threat, abuse and harassment, 9 students of the PG filed a complaint with the police, after which the landlord called their parents up, accusing the women of ‘smoking’ and ‘drinking.’

A confrontation at the Mukherjee Nagar Police Station resulted in a victory for the women. The landlord had to return the security deposit to all 9 students, and the students have registered a complaint with the NDPL, refusing to pay the inflated electricity bills.

“This kind of harassment is very rampant throughout Delhi,” says Subhashini Shriya of Pinjra Tod. “Due to dependency of the students on the PG owner and vulnerability of the students, combined with misinformation by the PG owner to parents, students find it difficult to come out with such cases.” On the reaction of the authorities to Pinjra Tod’s demand for regularisation of PGs, Subhashini says, “DU administration says that since these are private accommodations, it is beyond the scope of their authority. There are several PGs that are not registered with the police and most PGs give no receipt on receiving rent. Neither the university nor the police has taken this up.”

Pinjra Tod has decided to prepare a blacklist of PGs based on information given in by students on cases of sexual harassment, interference of the landlord, receipt for rent paid and rent agreements. “When students seek accommodation in PGs, they must have a better understanding of the comfort and security of these places. The blacklist will serve this purpose,” says Subhashini.

Pinjra Tod is also working towards ensuring that the University implements a standardisation of rules and rents in this regard. “We would like to set in place a system where students should be able to approach the university for redressal of such grievances,” says Subhashini.

 

Image credits: Pinjra Tod

 

Abhinaya Harigovind

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DU Hostel Admin sends notice to students’ parents over water protest

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On the evening of 23rd April’16, the women residents of Undergraduate Hostel for Girls (UGHG) in Delhi University took to the streets in protest against the severe water crisis that they had been facing in the hostel for almost two months leading to unbearable living conditions and water-borne illnesses. The hostel administration led by the Provost Rita Kakkar had refused to respond or meet the protesting students. Thus, the women broke their hostel curfew and marched to the provost’s residence demanding action. The Provost finally met the students around midnight, after Kapil Mishra, Delhi Government Water Minister, arrived at the protest venue and termed the negligence on part of the hostel authorities as ‘inhuman’. In the negotiations that followed in writing by the DU Administration, clauses that no individual student would be targeted for participating in the protest and, no resident would be denied a hostel seat the next year for the same were added. However, in contrary to this, the hostel administration started witch-hunting of women students identified as ‘ring-leaders’ of the protest.

Parents of several UGHG residents received letters stating “your daughter left the hostel on 23rd April, 2016 at around 5pm and returned around 2.30am on 24th April, 2016 without obtaining prior permission from the hostel authorities”. The letter further alleged that their daughter’s behaviour “has a bad impact on other residents and brings a bad reputation to the hostel”.

Further, exorbitant fines have been levied against financially weak students for late payment of fees. The hostel authorities also sent these notices to the college administrations asking them to confiscate the students’ admit cards.

“I’m furious at the college hostel administration. They had sent the notice without duly informing me. I felt mentally harassed at that time. I had to run between offices to get my admit card as they made wait for hours to give me the fee receipt. It was trying time for me and family, my parents understood the situation but I can’t say the same for the parents of other students,” said a UGHG resident on anonymity.

Pinjra Tod condemning this act of witch-hunting held a protest outside the DU VC office on 23rd May, Monday, at 1:00 PM to submit their demands – to revoke the issued letters, no further vindictive targeting of students involved in 23rd April protest and removal of Rita Kakkar, Provost from her post.

Moreover, Pinjra Tod will be writing to the Vice Chancellor and Proctor of Delhi University, Kapil Mishra, Delhi Government Water Minister and Swati Maliwal, Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson to lodge a complaint about this issue.

Image Credits: www.indiaresists.com 

Nidhi Panchal

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