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HC Suggests CBI Involvement in Gargi College Molestation Case

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The Delhi High Court suggested inclusion of CBI for further inspection in the mass molestation at Reverie, Gargi College, case. Moreover, HC has also mandated, retrieval of every visual footage captured through the CCTV camera of the College for further evidence.

On 17th of February 2020, in the wake of the Gargi College mass molestation case, new developments have been made, and it’s come up that the Delhi High Court has served a notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Delhi Police, regarding a petition which is aimed at a ‘court monitored CBI inspection’ into the claimed molestation case, which happened in the College, during the star night at Reverie, the annual cultural fest of Gargi College, earlier that week.

As detailed in the petition of advocate M.L. Sharma, retrieval of every visual footage captured through the CCTV camera of the University has to be maintained for further evidence . The court heard his petition where he claimed that nothing had been done as of yet and he further said,”On 9th February, FIR was registered by the police and a handful of people were arrested.” The court has decided 30th April 2020 for further hearing on this matter after registering the responses from the authorities.

The plea was registered on 13th February 2020, Thursday, upon facing a rejection from the Supreme Court and at a suggestion to move to the hearing at the High Court instead. This plea suggests to preserve all video and camera footage that can be retrieved through campus’s CCTV camera. The aim is to put those behind the bars who are associated with this criminal conspiracy.

On 12th February, ten people, between the age of 18 and 25, who were found complicit in the crime were detained by the police. However, the very next day witnessed their release on bail and two more further arrests.

The police claims that over 11 teams visited various sites in the National Capital Region(NCR), to look over technical details in connection with recognition of suspects related with the case. It’s said that allegedly the Delhi police filed the case upon receiving a complaint from the end of college authorities.

A case was registered at the Hauz Khas police station under the Indian Penal Code Section 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

 

Feature Image Source: Anonymous

Umaima Khanam

[email protected]

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Campus Central

DU Teachers Object to Recruit Foreign Faculty

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Delhi University Teachers, raise objection against the Institute of Eminence(IoE) proposal, for proposing to recruit foreign faculty at competitive salaries, for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. 

Objections have been raised by Teachers along with Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), against the Institute of Eminence (IoE) proposal, as the Varsity has proposed to recruit foreign faculty on “competitive salaries” with the existing faculty. Members of the Executive Council (EC) raised the issue recently after receiving the proposal for the same.

Abha Dev Habib, Office Bearer, DUTA told DU Beat, “As per the UGC Regulations on Graded Autonomy it has became clear that the differential pay needed to maintain foreign faculty will have to be generated by the institutions. This means that in order to run such programmes or centers, the fees will be enhanced sharply. Also differential pay for the same work is discrimatory. This will demoralise our own researchers and teachers. We also fear that in order to maintain rating and ranking, institutions may be forced to hire foreign faculty even in the disciplines/ areas where experts are available amongst our own people. With a large number of researchers and teachers waiting in queue for permanent jobs, this replacement will not be welcomed. This was also one of the major concerns put forth in the report by the Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Standing Committee against the Foreign Education Providers Bill, 2013.”

Delhi University was awarded the IoE in September 2019, by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), thus making it eligible for a Government grant of INR 1000 crore. Teachers objected to the proposal, stating the possible encouragement of privatisation and contractualisatijon of employees. This new issue comes in the background of an existing protest by DUTA, who have been demanding absorption of ad hocs since the previous two months.

EC member Rajesh Jha said to Hindustan Times, “The administration says that IOE has been brought in to improve rankings of the Varsity. Why not work on the lopsided existing teacher-student ratio to improve that? There is no mention of absorbing teachers who have been working for years or even that of promotions and appointments.”

Rajib Ray, President, Delhi University’s Teachers’ Association (DUTA), said to Hindustan Times,“The proposal, if followed, will create an arbitrary pay structure, push for contractualisatijon, and create space for favouritism. Indian teachers are excelling in all fields and there is high unemployment in our country. In such a scenario, why would we want faculty members from other countries when we have enough qualified teachers?”

He added, “The entire proposal was submitted without discussion and the approval of statutory bodies. It will change the existing structure and character of the University.”

The IoE grant to be used for foreign faculty does very little for the various departments and colleges of the University. The foreign faculty would be hired as per the market demand, and their salaries may differ, and will not even result to job creation for our own struggling teachers, in times of recession.

Feature Image Credits: Newslink

Anandi Sen

[email protected] 

 

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DUB News

Gargi College: Police Arrests 10 in Relation to Molestation and Security Concerns

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In response to the unfortunate events that happened in Gargi College during their annual fest, the police booked ten people and further arrested two more suspects.

On February 6, a group of men broke into the Gargi College during the college’s Annual Cultural Fest, Reverie 2020, and allegedly groped, harassed and molested the attendees, who claimed that security officials stood watching when the incidents took place. After the victims shared details of their harassment on social media, a formal investigation was started by the police and college administration.

On Wednesday, the Delhi Police arrested ten students in connection with the molestation of the girls in Gargi College’s fest. A case was registered against the ten accused at the Hauz Khas Police Station. These ten people were all students from other Delhi University (DU) colleges as well as colleges from private universities in Noida and were identified using CCTV footage from three cameras, in which they were seen climbing over the college gate and later pushing a car against it to force it open. 

The police said that they have more than eleven teams who are working on the case and coordinating with college authorities. Multiple suspects have been identified and questioned.

 However, on Thursday, a Saket court granted all ten students bail, said a police officer. “We have CCTV footage where the arrested persons were seen barging into the college premises by damaging a gate but they do not have any video or CCTV footage to establish that these persons were also involved in molestation” the officer added. He also said that nine students have recorded their statements with the police and that they are approaching more students to provide any videos or pictures that might lead them to the accused people.

A student was quoted on social media platform Twitter as “People have literally been detained for much longer periods for much lesser offences. Heck, sometimes for no offences at all.”

On the same day, the police arrested two more people in connection with the case. One of the accused arrested is a 22-year-old graduate preparing for competitive exams, while another, aged 19, is working as a tele-caller in a company in Delhi.

A notable mention in this case, is the fact that despite guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), there is no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in place at Gargi College, to address such concerns and incidents. The students of Gargi College have boycotted classes since the incident and have been protesting for safe and secure campuses, especially for girls.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court declined to give an urgent hearing on a petition seeking a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation into the incident. The plea was mentioned before a bench of Justice G S Sistani and Justice C Hari Shankar and was heard on Monday. The high court has sought a response of the Centre and the CBI on the plea.

Gargi College said that it had taken various steps to address the “anxieties and concerns” of the students and “mitigate their trauma”, like face to face interactions, and setting up a fact finding committee to recommend future course of action.

Sumit Raj, in-charge of the media cell, said students had been given time till Saturday to submit all testimonials and video/image proof to the committee.

On whether there was a deadline for the committee to submit a report, he said, “They are working day and night and they will do it soon.”

 Image Credits: The Times of India

Khush Vardhan Dembla

[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Defining Love in Different Forms

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Attachment, fondness, or desire? Let us try looking at love from different perspectives. Let’s attempt to define love. 

Defining Love Graphic Aishwaryaa

 

Graphic Image Credits: Aishwaryaa Kunwar for DU Beat

Graphic Image Caption:  Definition of Love according to dictionaries.

In school years, love was a feeling when nothing else mattered. With no real experience to this point, it was often just an attraction. That one glance from someone you loved, had the capacity to make your day. Looking back at it as an adult, now, you may find it amusing. But you know how it felt back then. Growing up you realize that it can be more than just a feeling. You discover desires and expectations through one or many ‘real’ relationships. You might have mistaken the feeling of falling in love with the action of losing yourself to someone. As we grow old, we start defining the feeling according to our own convenience. We decide when it’s love and when it’s not.

Celebrated as the day of love and expression, Valentine’s Day, for the longest time was only about the cis-gender. It would ostracize different identities, pushing unnecessary gender norms. Of course, not anymore. Couples are now celebrated with more diversity across the spectrum. Female friendships and relationship independence are popularly celebrated as Galantine’s Day. Love is a choice, but alongside all the social emphasis on romantic and sexual relationships, we alienate the space for aromantic and asexual people – who don’t experience any such attraction. While we de-centre heteronormativity from our idea of what love should look like, we consider romance and sex as obligatory.

When it comes to ways that human beings can experience love, we forget the incredible amount of diversity that exists. Individuals who identify themselves as aromantic or asexual do not experience romantic or sexual affinity respectively. This is widely misunderstood, given the lack of media representation, ignorance of people, and invisibility from forums like sex education.

A Delhi University student on the assurance of anonymity, says, “My sister is apparently ‘woke’. She would often talk about being ‘out and proud’. But when I came out to her, I was told that I haven’t found the right person yet and that eventually, I would come around to the idea of sex and romance, of course, irrespective of gender.”

“So, what if I’m aromantic, I still get attracted to people if they look good or we share something in common – music or movies. It is rather platonic, she says.

Talking about platonic love, Priyanshi, a second-year media student, says, “As a third-grader, I remember wishing my teacher a Happy Valentine’s Day and she had scolded me. I thought about what was wrong with that; I just wished someone I loved. Instead, she asked me to not engage in any such nonsense.”

Love can be redefined as admiration towards someone may be because of common interests or emotional connection. People who get along have an understanding between themselves opening ways to the many facets of human experience. Why limit it to just attraction? All relationships and experience are worth celebrating.

Open your minds to accepting and creating new definitions of love. Do not let outdated tropes constrain your understanding of what love looks like.

 

Aishwaryaa Kunwar [email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Students at Gargi College Continue to Protest against the Administration

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Students of Gargi College continue to demonstrate their agitation against the incidents of molestation and callous security at Reverie 2020 to demand answers from the College’s administration.

On 11th January, the student body of Gargi College, Delhi University gathered at 10 a.m. near the main arc for a dissent demonstration against the abominable administration and sexual harassment incidents that occurred at the College’s annual cultural fest, Reverie on 6th February 2020. The collective complaints and demands were read to all the students at 10:10 a.m. By 10:30 a.m. the entire mobilisation moved to the arts quad along with the administration and the principal and at 10:45 a.m. the administration expressed categorical support after listening to the demands and complaints. At 11 a.m, the administration and the principal demanded an hour to formulate a way for meeting our demands.

The student body in the meantime was addressed by the DCW (Delhi Commission for Women). The authorities of the DCW expressed how they’ll send an official notice to the administration of Gargi College and to the Police present on campus on 6th February. At 12:30 a.m. the staff council and administration addressed the students again wherein the student body was told that a fact-finding committee would be set up which will comprise of an elected teacher and student from each department that brings it to a total of 34 member team.

In a press release, it is stated that “The committee will work independently of the administration and all other forms of authorities in college. Further questions and grievances were addressed to the entire administration and the principal were a written apology, a minimum-security plan, a press release and written answers were demanded. The administration has been granted two days to get back to the student body with the demands which also includes the breakdown of the entire budget of reverie with special emphasis to the budget allocated to the security.” Each of the 17 departments is to have a representation in the “fact-finding” committee comprising of one teacher and one student voted by the students, with each group looking after different issues, particularly the budget issued and its distribution for the event. Another group of the committee would be looking into the harassment complaints. The committee will be given a week to collect the evidence, the representatives chosen after the popular vote would be open to listening to all students and their personal testimonies without bias.

The students of the college have been observing dissent demonstrations to protest against the lax security and harassment cases that occurred during this year’s Reverie. The Principal of the college, present at the meeting, issued a statement claiming that she condemns the incidents that occurred at the fest, and that a fact-finding committee will be set up which will collect the evidence and the complaints by the students and get them reported to the police if the student desires, as well as keeping open the option of the students reporting directly to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the college with their details remaining confidential. Students claimed that when they had reported harassment incidents to the Principal during Reverie, they had been allegedly urged to “not come to these events if they felt unsafe.”

Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) have also heavily condemned the mass sexual assault and harassment of women students in Gargi College. In a press release, Rajib Ray, President, DUTA, stated, “The DUTA condemns the perpetrators of mass sexual assault and abuse of women in Gargi College, as has been reported to have taken place through the afternoon and evening of February 6, 2020. The DUTA is shocked that the breaches of the peace, violation of law and order and abuse of female students in their own campus has been acknowledged so late, after over three days of its having taken place. Criminal unwillingness on the part of the officiating college principal to accept security lapses and act swiftly against the riotous men who forced entry into the college campus,  molested and abused women students in the presence of the Delhi Police, is to blame for this unacceptable delay.”

On the second day of the strike, 12th February, the police started investigating the case and have set up a base in the College itself. The students also took part in a General Body Meeting to formulate a high functioning Fact Finding Committee (FFC), that would investigate the events prior to Reverie, the events that happened during Reverie, and specific complaints against the administration of the College, and the organizing committee of Reverie 2020. The FFC shall become fully functional on 13th February, and has to submit its report by the 15th February 2020.

However, the students shall go into the third day of strike tomorrow, to seek a written apology, the formulation of the Internal Complaints Committee, and seek the budget from the Principal for Reverie 2019, and 2020.

Feature Image Credits: Sanyukta Singh for Gargi College

Shreya Juyal

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Arts & Culture

Kabir Singh's dos and don'ts for Valentine's

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An unpopular opinion- Kabir Singh was very informative, it taught us some lessons, a few dos and mostly don’ts for this Valentine’s. Note them down, and you are good to go. 1. Do not name your dog after your ex Do not have the same name for your pet and your ex, if things patch up, it might get awkward and confusing.  You are lying if you did not want to find out how things would be after Kabir, Preeti and Preeti- the dog got together. There would be absolute confusion! Imagine Kabir calling Preeti upstairs for some quality time but ends up getting licked by a dog. (PETA approves that love story)   2. C O N S E N T Ask them before you ‘shower your affection’. They might not want to be the ‘lucky’ receivers and you might receive a slap, cuss words, or a flying footwear. Hey Kabir, remember when you got agitated when that guy harassed Preeti? Well, you are no less! Ask your “kisne touch kia?” (who touched her?) question while looking in the mirror.  Preeti had poker face on while Kabir kissed her on the cheek. That’s the opposite of romantic    3. Do not stare that creepily, even background music will not help Do not stare creepily at a person you have feelings for, it will make them uncomfortable and no amount of soothing music can nullify that. And it’s even more uncomfortable if you are the senior and both of you are in a premier ragging institution.     4. “Meri bandi” (my girl) logic does not exist   Slave trade had been abolished long ago, so it might get difficult to acquire ownership over a human. Kabir might not know about it, but that does not mean we did not tell you. If you like someone, don’t scare her coevals by saying, “she is mine, you can have any other”, that’s not appropriate, because this literally is not a fish market, or even a flea market for that matter. If you like someone, tell them how you feel about them. Simple.   5. Do not force her to be friends with random humans You do not have to introduce them to the permutation and combination of friendship. So do not force friendship, especially with the “pretty chick- healthy chick” motto, that is absurd.   6. Let her study on her own If they are rank-holders, they can find their way out. Trust us. Do not take her to secluded areas or draw on their hands (especially if they live in a hostel with water scarcity) it is scary and irritating.  Especially for all the competitive Monicas- if they end up getting more marks than you, you will only feel bad and not in love.    7. Private space is irrelevant in India No matter how much you try to explain the concept of Private Space, or introduce the concept of right angles or age phenomenon, India will not understand that easily. Especially, if the intruders to your private space are your parents, please do get a room.   8. Do not slap each other If one of you raises your voice while talking about a difference in opinion, it is advised to inform your partner about the same, do not slap. Secondly, if your partner cannot muster courage to tell their parents about your relationship, do not slap. Thirdly, just do not slap, that is physical violence.   If you are a single soul, be thankful, it is better to be alone than in an abusive Kabir’s company. Preeti agrees on this. Happy Valentine’s! Feature Image Credits: @deewar_ Priyanshi Banerjee [email protected]  ]]>

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Arts & Culture

Kabir Singh’s dos and don’ts for Valentine’s

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An unpopular opinion- Kabir Singh was very informative, it taught us some lessons, a few dos and mostly don’ts for this Valentine’s. Note them down, and you are good to go.

1. Do not name your dog after your ex

Do not have the same name for your pet and your ex, if things patch up, it might get awkward and confusing. 

You are lying if you did not want to find out how things would be after Kabir, Preeti and Preeti- the dog got together.

There would be absolute confusion! Imagine Kabir calling Preeti upstairs for some quality time but ends up getting licked by a dog. (PETA approves that love story)

 

2. C O N S E N T

Ask them before you ‘shower your affection’. They might not want to be the ‘lucky’ receivers and you might receive a slap, cuss words, or a flying footwear.

Hey Kabir, remember when you got agitated when that guy harassed Preeti? Well, you are no less! Ask your “kisne touch kia?” (who touched her?) question while looking in the mirror. 

Preeti had poker face on while Kabir kissed her on the cheek. That’s the opposite of romantic

 

 3. Do not stare that creepily, even background music will not help

Do not stare creepily at a person you have feelings for, it will make them uncomfortable and no amount of soothing music can nullify that. And it’s even more uncomfortable if you are the senior and both of you are in a premier ragging institution.

 

 

4. “Meri bandi” (my girl) logic does not exist

 

Slave trade had been abolished long ago, so it might get difficult to acquire ownership over a human. Kabir might not know about it, but that does not mean we did not tell you.

If you like someone, don’t scare her coevals by saying, “she is mine, you can have any other”, that’s not appropriate, because this literally is not a fish market, or even a flea market for that matter.

If you like someone, tell them how you feel about them. Simple.

 

5. Do not force her to be friends with random humans

You do not have to introduce them to the permutation and combination of friendship. So do not force friendship, especially with the “pretty chick- healthy chick” motto, that is absurd.

 

6. Let her study on her own

If they are rank-holders, they can find their way out. Trust us.

Do not take her to secluded areas or draw on their hands (especially if they live in a hostel with water scarcity) it is scary and irritating. 

Especially for all the competitive Monicas- if they end up getting more marks than you, you will only feel bad and not in love.

 

 7. Private space is irrelevant in India

No matter how much you try to explain the concept of Private Space, or introduce the concept of right angles or age phenomenon, India will not understand that easily.

Especially, if the intruders to your private space are your parents, please do get a room.

 

8. Do not slap each other

If one of you raises your voice while talking about a difference in opinion, it is advised to inform your partner about the same, do not slap.

Secondly, if your partner cannot muster courage to tell their parents about your relationship, do not slap.

Thirdly, just do not slap, that is physical violence.

 

If you are a single soul, be thankful, it is better to be alone than in an abusive Kabir’s company. Preeti agrees on this.

Happy Valentine’s!

Feature Image Credits: @deewar_

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

Every Picture Has a Story at Mandi House: 1947 Partition Archive

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Mandi House Metro Station turns out to be a quintessential hotspot for every history-forager as a photo-exhibition on the 1947 Partition opens the door to a far-off reality.

 After a long day at college, one might want to escape the exasperation and break away from the monotony of metro journeys. Here is some respite- get off at Mandi House, take the escalator and find yourself in the world of others’ reality, learn what happened during the partition.

Further, here’s the answer to every “Why should I go to the exhibit?”:

One knows more about the “What?” and “Why?” of the partition, but it’s time to delve into the “How?” of the partition.

There exists a different 1947 and independence in many hearts, away from the rejoiced call of freedom and the attainment of autonomy. “I was traumatised. I was standing there, not knowing what is happening. He- the gunman- was only ten feet away…. he shot at me few times… He missed (everytime). So I started running, ” expresses Ali Shan. Zafar Afaq Ansari further quotes, “I feel like I am a bottled plant, a bottle can be kept here… here… I have no roots.”

According to the 1947 Partition Archives, the Partition gave way to the world’s largest mass human displacement as nearly 1,50,00,000 people associated to the basic need of shelter as a luxury. These affected lives found no place in the public archives, hence 1947 Archive’s creation is a multidimensional textbook.

It introduces and harnesses the latent power of Citizen Historians, comprising of volunteer movement. History bids farewell to lousy lectures as 500 people from over 20 countries become historians, with 1000 interviews in 9 languages- history becomes everybody’s story.

Learn about Usha Bhardwaj’s anarchical holiday in Kashmir and her memories of almost leaving her brother behind on the platform.

Read about Paramjit Kaur Dhanao’s life during the Partition as she narrates her struggle of being separated from friends and family due to borders.

Witness the clenching of jaw as Narinder Kaur Oberoi tells the readers about an incident where a father had to kill his own daughter, fearing the brutality along the borders the awaited their journey, and as Gopi Bhatia mentions the month long communication snap from her father during the period of severe rioting.

Abdus Salam, Adarsh Saran, Puran Dang, Mohinder Singh Chadha and many more have their stories along the walls of Mandi House Metro Station, making its readers rethink the idea of ‘celebrating’ 15th August and wonder how lines along landmass affect lives.

 Image Credit: www.1947partitionarchive.org

Priyanshi Banerjee

[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

Overcrowding and Harassment at Reverie’20, Gargi College

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Reverie’20, the annual cultural fest of Gargi College wasn’t a good experience for students who attended the star night with Jubin Nautiyal. Numerous accounts of man-handling and abuse were reported.

Trigger Warning: This article contains accounts of sexual harassment and molestation.

Reverie, the annual cultural fest of Gargi College took place from 4th February to 6th February 2020. Despite having a strict entry procedure, it witnessed various incidents of molestation and harassment.

While the first two days were relatively peaceful, the third day turned out to be more horrendous. Girls were groped, abused, and ogled at during Jubin Nautiyal’s concert on 6th February. It became impossible to even move out for safety in the huge crowd that had gathered. Gargi College, as it is known for its ethics and morals, ironically became the center of physical and verbal assault of many women.

While the entry for boys was strictly through passes and supposed to close after 4:30 pm, the gates remained open till late, and there was no checking for identification either. The security system proved to be highly incompetent as middle aged men jumped over boundaries to enter the campus. Due to overcrowding, there was no checking for passes or IDs at the gates. An anonymous source reports that the men did not break the gates initially. An admin official had consciously opened the gates to let a car enter. Once the gates were opened, a pool of men, including many non college students, flooded in. The influx continued till late. Approximately more than 5,000 individuals had accumulated on the Campus. They sat on the stalls of vendors and actively damaged the property of the college.

One of the students shared, “They broke down the gate, climbed over the walls and rammed their scooties into the crowd. The men were walking around drunk and shirtless.” Another girl said, “It was my first ever fest and I was touched inappropriately multiple times. A man just unzipped himself and kept on laughing at me. It is frightening and hard for me to accept what I witnessed in a supposedly safe girls college”.

Video Credits: Anonymous

Video Caption: The entry witnessed lack of frisking and pass checking, leading to mass entry and overcrowding.

Anguished students who went to the principal and other officials to complain, reportedly received only her apathy and insensitive comments. A girl stated, “It was scary and traumatic, and the administration refused to help.”

Several members of the Public and Media Relations and Students’ Union volunteers tried their best to help the students. They went out forming human chains and getting the girls from the crowd inside the barricades. A volunteer comments, “We literally pushed and fought the men back, stood on chairs to hold hands of girls in the crowd and helped them in front. When we were forming a human chain around the stage, a bunch of guys intentionally hurled themselves upon us and we fell down on the speakers. They began laughing and commenting on our bodies”

A lot of students took to social media to share their thoughts and personal experiences.

Image Credits: Anonymous Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident.
Image Credits: Anonymous
Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident. (Part 1)
Image Credits: Anonymous Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident. (Part 2)

Image Credits: Anonymous
Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident. (Part 2)
Image Credits: Anonymous Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident. (Part 3)

Image Credits: Anonymous
Image Caption: An Instagram story of a student explaining the incident. (Part 3)
Image Credits: Anonymous Image Caption: A student sharing her personal experience via Instagram.

Image Credits: Anonymous
Image Caption: A student sharing her personal experience via Instagram.

A student reported that she assisted in carrying out several women out of the ground in her hands. While two of them had panic attacks because of the harassment they faced, one was lying unconscious at the ground entry because a man had started masturbating at her. Another student was cornered by a group of middle aged drunk men who tried to molest her. On the assurance of anonymity, a second year student of Gargi College accounts, “15 girls cannot fight with 500 men alone. The teachers just sat on the sofas and saw everything unfold. When we asked them for help, we were told to fight everything ourselves.”

Anandi Sen from Kamla Nehru College, who also attended the fest, tells us, “I witnessed so many men just ‘scanning’ women from top to bottom. It is not only cheap but extremely creepy. The stares and silent smirks speak a lot. However there were some very decent people out there who ensured that you’re doing well in the jam packed crowd and ensuring that they do not brush or touch any person without their consent.”

There was a continuous pushing and passing comments in the dense crowd. Jammed networks made it worse – one couldn’t text or call in case of emergency because there were no signals. Students were stuck and couldn’t get out.

“I’ve always felt safe on campus except for the three days. The administration lets this happen trivializing our trauma year after year. We did not sign up to be told by the principal that itna unsafe feel karte ho toh mat aayakaro”, says a student of the College.

Random men stood outside the College throwing money at the girls, giving suggestive stares. Many of the girls were followed back to their PGs and metro stations by men in cars. A student reports that she was waiting outside the gate for a cab when a group of three boys adamantly kept on asking her if she wanted a ride and to just get in the car. This happened in the presence of police officers who were patrolling around.

“No amount of money you carelessly take for unknown people to enter the campus can ever pay up to my body being forced into being your property”, quotes Nilanjana.

A final year student wrote on her social media, “Gargi is our space to exist, where our voices are acknowledged not by the administration but by the wonderful women around us. However, every year, during Reverie, this one space we call our own is taken away from us and sacrificed to capitalism and hyper masculinity. We are afraid to move, we are harassed and ogled at. Men come and assert their dominance and toxic masculinity in the most brutal way possible, every year.”

In an official statement, the Students’ Union of Gargi College stated that gate duties are handled by the administrative staff wherein clear instructions were given by the Union to ensure lesser entries of only college students with a pass. Funds had been raised and made available for hiring a private security agency to ensure barricading outside the gate and competent bouncers. However nothing of this was in practice. Even the policemen weren’t as pro active as they should have been despite their repeated requests. Police vans were conveniently parked outside the college with all the mishaps taking place inside.

Image Source: Students' Union official statement.
Image Source: Students’ Union official statement.
Image Source: Students' Union official statement.
Image Source: Students’ Union official statement.

Suman, a student of the college summed up her fest experience, by stating, “Gargi you’re so much better, safe and homely without the star night”.

Feature Image Credits: Sanyukta Singh from Gargi College

Aishwaryaa Kunwar

[email protected]

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Delhi Assembly Elections

The New Delhi Constituency: Standing Against the Current Chief Minister

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With the Delhi Assembly elections today, let’s take a look at the candidates competing against incumbent Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Chief Ministerial candidate- Arvind Kejriwal.

Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s Incumbent Chief Minister, is once again the chief ministerial candidate from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) contesting from the New Delhi constituency. The New Delhi constituency was created by the delimitation commission in 2008. Historically, it has always been the constituency, which has been held by the Chief Ministers, as Sheila Dixit represented the constituency in the 2008 Elections before Kejriwal. The New Delhi Constituency has a sizeable population of Government employees and falls in the posh localities of Delhi.

With neither Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), nor the Indian National Congress (INC), releasing the names of their chief ministerial candidates, let’s take a look at the candidates competing from the New Delhi Constituency.

Sunil Yadav (BJP)

Sunil Yadav is an advocate by profession. Yadav started his political career as a Party’s Yuva Morcha. He currently holds the President’s Office of Yuva Morcha, Bharatiya Janata Party, Delhi (BJYM Delhi). He is the former Secretary of the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party. While it was rumoured for him to get a ticket in the 2013 and 2015 Elections, this is Yadav’s first time contesting as a candidate.

Talking about the focus on national issues in the BJP manifesto over local issues, Sunil Yadav, said to theIndian Express, that he was fighting the election on local agenda. “I am talking about people living in clusters in my constituency. I am talking about their water and electricity bills.” He also claims, he is confident of a victory with a margin of 25,000 votes.

Romesh Sabharwal (INC)

Romesh Sabharwal is a former Student Leader, who has been associated with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), and the Youth Congress three decades back. He was the President of NSUI Delhi State. This is Sabharwal’s first time contesting as a candidate.

He also claims that he is confident to beat Arvind Kejriwal. “He may be the CM of Delhi, but I am a local, as a Government servant and an honest taxpayer who understands the needs of the residents of the constituency,” Romesh Sabharwal told India Today.

Arvind Kejriwal (AAP)

Arvind Kejriwal joined politics formally in 2012, when he launched the Aam Aadmi Party. Before joining politics, Kejriwal worked in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner, Income Tax in New Delhi. He is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering, from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.

In 2006, Kejriwal was awarded with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in recognition of his involvement in the grassroots level movement Parivartan, using Right to Information legislation, in a campaign against corruption, post which he resigned from the Government Service. He has also been monumental in leading the Jan Lokpal Anti- Corruption movement, along with Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi, in 2011.

Following the 2013 Delhi Assembly Elections, Arvind Kejriwal first took office as the Chief Minister of Delhi, in December 2013. However, in February 2014, he resigned due to his minority Government’s inability to pass his proposed anti-corruption legislation pertaining to lack of support from other political parties. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly Elections, the Aam Aadmi Party won 67 out of the 70 seats in Delhi, securing Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Ministerial Office again.

Both BJP and INC have pitched first- time candidates against Kejriwal in these elections.

Feature Image Credits: Outlook

Satviki Sanjay

[email protected]

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