As per a notice issued by the University of Delhi (DU) Vice-Chancellor (VC), all the co-educational Colleges across different campuses have been asked to celebrate a Samuhik Raksha Bandhan in college premises on 16th August.
According to a notice released by the VC on 11th August, all the co-ed colleges in DU have been requested to celebrate a Samuhik Raksha Bandhan or a Community Rakhi Celebration in their Colleges on 16th August, a day after the festival of Raksha Bandhan. This celebration would include girls tying a Rakhi onto their male classmates and friend’s hands and make them Rakhi Brothers.
There has been an uproar in the student community against this decision. College Unions of Ramjas, Hans Raj and Kirori Mal Colleges have come forward with a consensus of refusing to comply with this decision. A member of the Hindu Parliament told DU Beat that she finds this decision absurd and unimaginable. She added “I fail to understand what the VC wishes to achieve with this decision? What good does it even promote in the varsity? This decision is just trying to take away our freedom in College.”
Another student from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies stated “I have a lot of friends who are girls. But, they are friends, not my sisters. I don’t have to get a Rakhi tied to prove that my relationship with them is platonic. So, I am not going to follow this order if my college celebrates this Samuhik Raksha Bandhan”
Not only co-ed colleges but students from different girl’s colleges also strongly oppose this decision. A student from Gargi College shared “I already feel that Raksha Bandhan is a deeply patriarchal festival that reinforces that girls are weak and need protection. Celebrating it in colleges where girls and boys study together, become friends, even lovers seems insane.”
The authorities defended this decision by stating that they want to promote the joy of Raksha Bandhan in colleges and it will be the choice of the girls, to whom they want to tie a Rakhi too. However, the VC was unavailable for comment.
Feature Image Credits: Hindustan
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Sakshi Arora
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