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Hema Committee Reports: Is the POSH Act the new “Good Samaritan”

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India now stands at the cusp of becoming one of the global powerhouses, especially in South-East Asia. The real heroes behind this remarkable achievement are the working class, operating the country. However, can we only consider economic metrics as the real indicators of development or are there other factors too? With growing cases of sodomy and workplace harassment, there is a much bigger story to unfold before we truly consider ourselves as a developed nation.

The three-member Justice Hema Committee, established in 2017, unveiled its report on August 19, 2024, exposing harrowing accounts of discrimination, exploitation, and sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The committee was tasked with examining issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality within the Malayalam film industry. The WCC itself was formed after a Malayalam actress publicly alleged abduction and sexual assault in Kochi. The subsequent investigation by the Kerala Police pointed to Malayalam actor Dileep as a key suspect. Following the release of the report, the spotlight has shifted, and major movie stars are now under fire this time not from film critics, but from the public. Pay scale disparity has always been one of the leading contentions of debate in Bollywood. Still, the Hema Committee Reports narrate a bigger story of the regional production houses behind the glitz and glamour of the movie screens. One of the long-lasting concerns the reports have showcased is that even after celebrating 75 years of independence and painting a distorted narration of a “Free India”, our country is actually not safe for women to work at their workplaces. In the modern-day world, the term,’ workplace’, is not confined to only flashy office buildings rather its interpretation has widened significantly and now covers a bigger ambit wherein under any circumstances, whether it is in-house official work (within the boundaries of the official office), or off-campus work, an employee who is employed to complete their designated task, at the required position deserves all the necessary amount of security they are entitled to. The POSH Act 2013 (Prevention of Sexual Harassment Against Women At Workplaces), brought forth the Vishaka guidelines, which proved to be a colossal breakthrough when we talk about workplace safety for women. But the underlying question here, even after 2013, is why there is an unprecedented increase in sexual offences against women at their workplaces, especially in metropolitan cities. 

The report uncovers a troubling reality where sexual favours have long been regarded as a gateway into the Malayalam film industry. It also sheds light on the alleged presence of a powerful clique, capable of wielding control over the entire industry, and the pervasive influence of the notorious ‘casting couch’ culture.These affect a range of women across the industry — actors, technicians, make-up artists, dancers and support staff. The report also deals with other inequities that disadvantage women in the industry, including the lack of essential facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, safe transportation, and accommodation at the shooting spots which are violative of the right to privacy; and discrimination in remuneration, and a lack of binding contractual agreements. This puts a major amount of spotlight on our existing statutory provisions and the extent of their applicability. After the introduction of the new criminal laws like BNS 2023 (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita), many jurists and policymakers appreciated that the new laws provide many liberal interpretations to multiple sections mentioned in the erstwhile IPC (Indian Penal Code), but at the same time, the many have also critiqued that the language of these provisions is still very short-sighted, in the sense that they still recognised major offences in binary gender terms. The Hema Committee reports shedding light on a larger narrative, revealing a dual reality: while offences against women in workplaces are on the rise, offences against men also occur but often remain hidden in the shadows, overshadowed by silence. This makes the inclusion of gender-neutral provisions more urgent at present. Project 39 A, a research think tank operating under the aegis of National Law University Delhi, provided an in-depth analysis of how the language used under BNS 2023 provisions was very much orthodox. We can infer the same, through the language of the statutory provisions, given in BNS (Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita):-

Section 63 Illustrates: A man is said to commit “rape” if he— 

(a) penetrates his penis, to any extent, into the vagina, mouth, urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

(b) inserts, to any extent, any object or a part of the body, not being the penis, into the vagina, the urethra or anus of a woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

(c) manipulates any part of the body of a woman to cause penetration into the vagina, urethra, anus or any part of the body of such woman or makes her to do so with him or any other person; or 

(d) applies his mouth to the vagina, anus, or urethra of a woman or makes her do so with him or any other person,

Like many other sections dealing with the offence of sexual harassment in BNS, under section 63 Also, words like, ‘A man is said to commit “rape” if he…’ clearly showcases that the act has portrayed the capacity of committing such offence being confined to one gender only. Similarly, the POSH Act (Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace), is a much-appreciated move to diminish and alleviate sexual harassment in workplaces. But at the same time, the entire act restricts harassment towards only one gender and that is females, whereas it is a very common occurrence in many corporate spaces that a lot of new male freshers employees face harassment from their senior male counterparts. This is something which needs to be worked on urgently. It is massively disappointing when premier research think tanks like Niti Aayog, don’t have a single standalone report or any official record of harassment cases against men or the queer population. On one end, these policymakers contest for the upliftment of these marginalised communities by providing them reservations in the government sectors and conducting seminars for private companies motivating them to strengthen their DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) policies but on the other end, when these policies are drafted they are restricted to only a few people, so how does it fulfil its expansive criteria of covering maximum number of people? If people are not safe at their workplaces, where else will they be then? 

This is one of the most infamous fables being narrated in the corporate spaces. We all live in a digital era and that is why the dissemination of information happens faster now, and that’s why more stories are now being narrated: –

“I’m a 22-year-old (male) employee, working at EY. I had just completed my first 6 months here and for the first time, I had felt this much awkward and uncomfortable, especially at my office. During our orientation week, I remember my team leader, who is a 45-year-old male employee, caressing me inappropriately on my upper thighs. At the moment, I couldn’t understand what was happening, later when I did I couldn’t do anything about it because I had two options, either I could lose my Jon because I’m just a fresher here or I could visit the ICC members (Internal Complaints Committee), but it is again futile.”

This is again, a story of a lot of people out there who either are unaware whether their company has an ICC (Internal Complaints Committee), or either they are not protected under its ambit. We need to have more constructive legislation in this domain if we want to bring in some change because abuse has no gender.    

Samvardhan Tiwari

Gmail: [email protected] 

Featured image credits: hrmasia

Read also: Where are you ICC? 

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Protests Erupt at IIT BHU After Student Disrobed and Molested

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Students at the university are protesting to demand better security after a student was harassed on campus.

After a 20-year-old student was allegedly molested on the IIT-BHU campus in Varanasi on Thursday, November 2., students of the university demonstrated in hundreds to protest against the lack of safety and adequate security measures.

According to the student’s complaint, the incident happened when she stepped out for a walk with her friend near her hostel at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday. The two were ambushed by three men on a motorcycle, who then separated them and dragged the girl away. The men then forcibly kissed her, disrobed her, and took pictures and videos of her. She has stated that when she screamed for help, they threatened to kill her and secured her phone number before they let her go. An FIR was lodged against three unidentified people, and the police said they are conducting a probe and working jointly with the university administration to ensure safety on campus.

During the protests against this incident, students demanded that the administration take steps to restrict the entry of outside vehicles inside the campus, as it is suspected that people from outside the campus were involved in the harassment. In addition, they demanded better CCTV infrastructure and immediate legal action for such incidents.

According to the IIT-BHU Students’ Parliament, safety has always been a concern on campus, as this is not the first time such an incident has occurred. They claim that the administration has failed to take adequate action in the past. A similar incident shook up the university students in 2017, and another took place in February of this year.

The BHU Registrar has said in a statement that security has been tightened and more CCTVs will be installed on campus soon. The movement of students will also be restricted between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

The institute also said it would hold meetings with the Ministry of Education to discuss the creation of a closed campus and the construction of new boundary walls. A report on the same is to be submitted within a week. The security of the institute will now be jointly monitored by the District Police and IIT-BHU personnel at all seven gates to ensure necessary action is taken in time.

Read also: Bharati College Students Face Breach of Consent at IITD Fest 

Featured image source: NDTV

Arshiya Pathania
[email protected]

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Students Protest Against the Police Inaction in JNU’s Sexual Violence Case

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Students Protest Against the Police Inaction in JNU's Sexual Violence Case

JNU’s Students along with SFI-AIDWA-DYFI staged a protest against the police inaction and demanded swift action for identifying and arresting the suspect who sexually harassed a student on campus on Monday night.

On 21 January 2022, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) along with other student unions and associations, including All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI,) protested in front of Delhi Police Headquarters against the police inaction in regards to an attempt to rape at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).  On Monday night, 17 January 2022, an attempt to rape was made on a JNU’s student. The student was taking an evening stroll near the VC house when a motorcyclist tried to drag the student into the forest and attempted to rape her. SFI condemns the casual approach of the police in this incident. They strongly feel that this incident is a shameful reflection of patriarchy that persists in society. Such incidents have been on the rise during the lockdown when vigilance has lowered. They find it disgraceful that students who identify with minority genders have to go through such traumas in University space. Asha Sharma, State Secretary of AIDWA, also condemns Delhi police for their lack of accountability towards the victim and towards the due process of law.

AIDWA Delhi was shocked by this unfortunate incident as it is a residential space where students return from libraries late at night. Moreover, since it has been considered a safer space for women, the female students often come out to walk even later than the time at which this incident has occurred. Satarupa Chakraborty from AIDWA points out that it is very irresponsible of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) who did nothing upon hearing about the incident. It is quite shameful that a young woman had to undergo such a heinous crime within the premises of a prestigious university.  She further adds the importance of escalating the efforts that are being made in bringing back the Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) in JNU. In conversation with DU Beat, Twinkle Siwach, former GSCASH student representative, directed attention towards the ICC. According to her, ever since the ICC, the puppet body of the JNU administration (as opposed to the idea of GSCASH which was constituted with elected members from different constituencies) has been installed, they have witnessed that cases of harassment, stalking in particular, have significantly increased in number. She stated that woman students do not feel confident in approaching ICC, particularly because, in some cases, complaints have been leaked, or the blame has been put on the complainants. In the absence of GSCASH, students still find it a safer option to seek help from the former GSCASH student representatives instead of approaching any member from ICC. She points out that in some of the extreme cases; students prefer to contact the police directly.

This incident has once again highlighted the lackadaisical attitude of the JNU administration and ICC, which continues to control the freedom of women students inside the campus and does not outreach or come out in the support of the complainants or women students in general.

-Twinkle Siwach, former Gender Sensitization Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) student representative

Elora Chakraborty, an EC member of the SFI JNU unit, in conversation with DU Beat strongly believes that the JNU administration should immediately pressurize the Delhi Police to carry out the investigation and arrest the culprit. The administration should leave no stone unturned to help the Police with all necessary information and data. Alongside the Administration, including the JNU VC, must immediately take not only cognizance of the crime but also apologize to the student community in general for the inability to provide security. Further, she stated that the scandalous appointment of Cyclops Security and Allied Services Pvt. Ltd. must be undone at the earliest. She marked out that ever since the security agency has been brought to campus, the campus is seeing more and more instances of security lapses in recent times like in this case of an attempt to rape a fellow female student along with the regular cases of sexual harassment in the campus space or on 5 January 2020, when the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) President Aishe Ghosh was attacked by right-wing goons in a premeditated manner and also of harassment of students by the security agency. When the security agency is ill-equipped to provide the campus with the security they must immediately be replaced.

It is needless to say the JNUSU demands resignation of the JNU VC Mamidala Jagdish Kumar for degrading the institution and if the question is about what JNU students are doing, they already are protesting for justice to the survivor and for the revival of GSCASH in the campus alongside the JNUSU.

-Elora Chakraborty, former JNUSU councilor for School of Social Sciences, EC member, SFI JNU

Concluding her statement, Elora asserted that the student community in JNU will not rest until justice is provided to the survivor and the culprit is arrested. The voice for the reinstatement of GSCASH is getting stronger day by day and students are coming out on the streets of JNU and Delhi to demand justice for the survivor. On 20 January 2022, the student community walked alongside the JNUSU reclaiming the night with the campus in a March from Sabarmati hostel to the VC house. On 21 January 2022 the JNU student community and the JNUSU marched to the Vasant Kunj Police Station demanding speedy justice to the bone-chilling crime on the campus.  AIDWA-SFI-DYFI had a common call of protest at the Delhi Police headquarter to make campus spaces safer. The protest will go on in the demand for justice for the survivor and reinstatement for GSCASH.

Read Also: Multiple Accusations of Sexual Misconduct Against A Doctoral Student from JNU

Featured Image Credits: Chirag Jha for DU Beat

Ankita Baidya

[email protected]

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College Student Accused of Multiple Cases of Sexual Harassment

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In a series of shocking revelations, a student from a reputed private university in Sonipat was accused of eight cases of sexual harassment.

Trigger Warning- Harassment, Gaslighting, Abuse

On 6th May, a student of a premier institution took to Instagram to talk about how she was repeatedly harassed, manipulated and gaslighted by a fellow batchmate. Speaking to DU Beat, the victim recounts her story “He coerced me into physical intimacy, forced me into oral sex, and also tried to stop me from having other friends. He would get “jealous” of my other friends, and get angry but in reality, he just wanted me to not talk to anyone else about any of the stuff that he did to me.” The victim also talked about how their sexual interactions were allegedly recorded multiple times without consent and stored despite him being asked to delete the same.

In response to these allegations, the perpetrator allegedly instead chose to attack her character. “I have been called a ‘sick fuck’ and a “lying, manipulative, attention-seeking, clout mongering whore”. I have been threatened with a ‘defamation case’ by my perpetrator.” “Other than him, his ‘supporters’ have left no dearth of saying things to force me to take the posts down, starting from slut-shaming to death threats. I deal with countless such DMs”. The victim has chosen to pursue this matter with the internal complaints committee in her college.

After this, a lot of other people also chose to come out with their stories in public. One of the victims alleged how she had to face continuous nagging to indulge in sexual acts she did not want to and how she was coerced and manipulated into sending nudes. “There was more of mental harassment. A lot of times, it wasn’t my fault, but he made me think it was.”

“I’ve got screenshots of him asking me sext with him and call him and send pictures while he was dating another girl in October 2019. I was drunk during Diwali, and I was talking to him for some reason so on 27th October, he asked if I plan to get drunk again because he thought drunk me would send him nudes, when the day before, a very drunk me had denied that.”

Ashoka-3

The victim talks about how as a fourteen-year-old, she was forced to take birth control pills since the perpetrator allegedly did not want to wear a condom while having sex. A pattern of an attempt at controlling other relationships was allegedly seen in this relationship too, “He wanted me to choose him over my own family, got jealous of my brother because I could spend time with him. He was against one of my friends because she didn’t like him, so he wanted me to physically hurt her, or else he would break up with me.” Here too, the victim talks about how she was manipulated into sending him nude pictures of herself, which he still possesses and not only resurfaced later with several other accounts online but were also allegedly used by him to masturbate even when he was dating someone else.

Ashoka-2

One of the perpetrator’s ex-girlfriends said “Yes, mostly it (sex) was coerced because he chose to ignore if I wanted to do it or not. He’d coerce me into sexting and sending pictures which I clearly didn’t want to at that point but he’d throw tantrums or break up with me. It was really immature, to begin with.” On being asked if he apologised, she said “No he hasn’t. in fact, after breaking up I chose to remain silent and get rid of him being the bigger person but he chose to slander me online making jokes on my insecurity so it’s safe to say he wasn’t even apologetic. He’d post chat screenshots of his friends humiliating me, joking about insecurities that I trusted him with. One of them even made a meme about how I keep going back to my ex when I merely talked to him for a while.”

There were several more victims who chose to not make their stories public because of fear of backlash from the accused and his friends.

 

Feature Image Credits: The Vice

Khush Vardhan Dembla

[email protected]

 

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The University of Delhi Stands With the Students of Gargi College

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In a recent press release, the University of Delhi (DU) released out a statement condemning the sexual harassment that occurred during Gargi College’s annual cultural fest, Reverie. 

In a recent press release dated 12th February 2020, the University of Delhi released an official statement condemning the sexual harassment that occurred during the college’s annual festival Reverie on 6th February 2020 and standing with the female students and employees of Gargi College in their fight against the incident. In the statement signed by the University’s Registrar, Professor Tarun Kumar Das said, “The University strongly condemned the hooliganism, trespassing and any other incident that violated the modesty of the students, and appealed to the law enforcement agencies to take strong action against the culprits.”

In the statement, the University claims that it sought action taken report from the Principal of Gargi College as soon as it heard the news regarding the incident, with the University’s Proctor meeting with Police personnel and requesting them to deploy policemen at the gates of every college on 11th February 2020. The Proctor also allegedly met with the Deputy Commissioner of the Police (North) and the Dean Students Welfare and Presiding Officer (ICC) of the University on 12th February 2020 at 3 pm to discuss the measures that were to be taken regarding the matter immediately.

The University insists that it is doing everything to harbour a sense of safety amongst students and ensure safe and secure academic campuses for the university and is at a constant vigil for the same. The University had also issued an advisory for all colleges and institutions associated with DU concerning the safety and security of its female students and employees on 10th December 2019 and had constituted a Committee on Women Safety and Security to strengthen the safety and security of female students and employees on 15th January 2020.

“The University reiterates its resolve time continue to work towards ensuring a safe and secure college life for female students in particular. The University appeals to all to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of our female students and employees and respect their dignity,” the press release stated.

Students of Gargi College, University of Delhi, experiences hooliganism, trespassing, and sexual harassment during their annual festival Reverie that took place on 6th February 2020, due to poor administration and lack of proper security. Students of Gargi College have been observing dissent demonstrations against the act, and the College and established a Fact-Finding committee to find evidence and information for reporting it to official personnel. Student and teacher organisations of the university- Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthu Parishad (ABVP), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI)- have condemned the incident and held demonstrations across the campus in support of the female students and employees of Gargi College.

 

Feature Image Credits: Sanyukta Singh

Shreya Juyal

[email protected] 

 

 

 

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Consent, Space, and Accountability: Mass Sexual Harassment at Gargi College

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This piece attempts to highlight the root of mass sexual harassment that occurred at Gargi College’s fest, Reverie. 

The evening of 6 February was supposed to be a memorable one for the students of Gargi College. It was the last day of their annual fest Reverie, with a concert from the singer Jubin Nautiyal lined up to end the proceedings of the day. Instead of a good time, what the young women of Gargi experienced was horror and outrage. As the evening progressed, a large number of men were able to enter the campus. The safeguards to ensure the safety of the students broke down. Mobs of men entered the campus. There were reports after reports of women being harassed – groping, cat-calling, teasing, stalking, manhandling and even being masturbated at. Reverie 2020 ended with Gargi students being not just sexually harassed en masse by mobs of unruly men but were also overwhelmed and exhausted by anger, anxiety, and trauma as they scrambled to save themselves from the oncoming onslaught.

Reports of women facing sexual harassment by a group of men are, unfortunately, are not uncommon news in the country. However, the campus invasion at Gargi College represents a particularly heinous manifestation of such crimes. A large number of men, invading a women’s college for the sole purpose of sexual harassment without any pretext, represents the abject failure of both the state and society to ensure the safety of women. The state authority has either been incapable or unwilling to wield power to protect women. At the level of society, a culture of impunity has been looking the other way by downplaying issues of space and consent. Lack of accountability has become the common feature binding the two.

 

Abdication of Responsibility

Arrangements that are supposed to ensure the safety of the students, especially women, were either incapable or complicit. College administration did not take action. No authority figure stuck his or her neck out in saving the students. The Rapid Action Force, often seen at the forefront when cracking down violently on peaceful protests across the country, was mostly an audience to this spectacle of fellow men, some in their middle ages, molesting young, college-going women. The principal, as per many reports, victim-blamed the students, arguing that if the fest feels unsafe then they should not have come to the college fest at all. All governmental slogans about women empowerment and education were exposed for what they are – hollow words, backed by no will or capability. The Gargi students were left to fend for themselves, forced to confront physical and emotional distress that entails saving oneself from the unimpeded mob.

 

Indian Men and the Social Rot

The seriousness of the mass sexual harassment at Gargi College becomes clear when understood through the idea of space violation. Firstly, the campus as a safe space for women was violated by the gangs of men that used mob pressure to enter the campus. Secondly, the personal space of each of the Gargi students itself was violated when the mob of men went ahead and sexually assaulted them. Some serious questions arise about the kind of social contexts that create a molester mob. Why are so many men still not able to grasp the question of consent? Almost every heinous televised rape often sparks off conversations about women’s security but this is often limited to the punishment of rapists only, rather than the mindset which leads to it. Why are there still so many men that show no signs that they understand the importance of space and consent in women’s safety? These questions are for the men to ask themselves.

The men who molested the women of Gargi didn’t come from outer space. To use arguments such as “they were from outside”, “they were from ABC caste or XYZ state” is a reflection on the general attitudes around women and women’s spaces that abound in a large segment of men. The molestation at Gargi arose out of nowhere. Everyday sexism about women and their sexuality played a huge enabling role. The spade must be called a spade. Those men intruded because they interpreted a college fest, where students want to partake in all sorts of curricular and extracurricular activities or simply enjoy themselves as an invitation to harass. The patriarchal mindset that has multiple excuses to harass women also condones women’s spaces to the same fate. There were enough men on that evening who thought of Gargi in a similar way, as a place to hunt down and sexually harass women. There were enough men that evening who cooperated with each other in this collective display of toxic masculinity that would put any civilized society to shame.

 

The Need For Accountability

One of the biggest reasons that mass molestation of this magnitude could happen is the utter lack of accountability at every level. At the topmost level, being defensive and being in denial has become the ruling norm. As an issue of law and order in the capital, the Central Government is responsible if the police fail to respond credibly to a mob whose purpose of sexual harassment is plainly visible. This lack of response is not unique to Gargi College and is not unique to the issue of women’s safety exclusively. Over the last few months, the ruling party has demonized universities in general for different reasons and their allied media has been actively encouraging this discourse as well. This discourse is laden with aggressive slogans that draw on toxic masculinity and has often dubbed women’s colleges as places that are “too feminist” (the implication being that feminism is bad). The manifestation of this discourse, done every day in high decibels on TV news shows every day has been that mobs have attacked college campuses, and simply gotten away with it – no FIRs, no complaints and more importantly, no uncomfortable questions.

It has been argued that an unnecessary politicization of Gargi College will hinder the issue of women’s safety. In the context of turning this into a party political issue, the point is understandable. Men have been molesting, raping, assaulting women in this country across different party rules, so to turn this into a party issue is hollow. However, this understanding of “politicization” is a shallow interpretation. Accountability in its very essence is extremely political. If the government of the day keeps undermining the safety of college spaces, it creates a precedent and a culture of impunity. The direction of questions must be upwards – towards the people in power. Until there is a political atmosphere that permits the citizenry to ask questions without the fear of trolling, rape threats and abuses, those in power will continue to evade questions, whether is the issue is women’s safety, higher education, the economy or even national security.

Accountability is also needed for every day. Men must hold fellow men accountable for holding regressive stereotypes, for using language that objectifies and dehumanizes women. The understanding of space and consent is extremely important. It is high time to stop being dismissive of women’s lived experiences on the pretext of being “too emotional” if the interplay between consent and space has to be understood. As the feminist scholar, Carol Hanisch said – “the Personal is Political”. Men being able to violate the geographical and personal spaces of women in this country repeatedly, time and time again, isn’t an isolated problem. It is embedded in the society that produces them. It is not the responsibility of the students of Gargi, angry and frustrated already, to keep this issue neatly contained into packages that feel acceptable to a broad audience. If they question the actors that set the stage for this to happen, so be it.

Featured Image Credits:  Sanyukta Singh

Shivam Bahuguna

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Sexual Harassment at SSCBS’s Students’ Farewell Party

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Under heavy alcohol influence, a third-year student, Moksh Nair, was accused of harassing seven third-year girls at a farewell party. Their college took a swift decision, ensuring that action was taken.

On the night of 16th April, around 70 students of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies (SSCBS) gathered to celebrate the end of their college life. This unofficial graduation party took place near Gurgaon and involved alcohol. This celebration turned sour when Moksh Nair, a third-year student from the college, under heavy alcohol influence, harassed around seven third-year girls at the party, according to the sources.

The Instagram stories of one of the victims brought to light the occurrences of the night. A statement issued by the Students’ Council, SSCBS, revealed the same in an unofficial meeting. The Council briefed the teachers and administration regarding the matter and how it was to be dealt with. From thereon, Poonam Verma, the Principal, herself headed the committee which handled the matter.

Contacted by DU Beat, the Principal said, “It’s a sad affair. We have been discouraging the students to go out and have such parties. Though as an institution we are not truly responsible as students do turn out and say that ‘they are all adults’, and also (because) these incidents take place outside the college premises.” She added that despite all this, they will always be protective of their students just as parents are in a family; however old the children might get. “In any case, these issues need to be handled at the family level as well.”

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Image Credits: Students’ Council, SSCBS

The girls involved decided to drop any legal charges and consented the committee, including the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), to decide the fate of Nair. It was allegedly decided that the accused would not graduate along with his batch and would have to repeat the year; however, the same has not been confirmed by the admin. Further, his placement was also evoked reportedly. Although the steps taken remain subject to confirmation, it reflects how the college authorities were willing to take apt decisions and handled such a matter with sensitivity.

In a study it was revealed that one in every four women have faced harassment in Delhi University, it further went on to reveal how not even half of the students are aware of the ICC. A senior officer from Maurice Nagar police station, on speaking to a national daily said, “We receive a lot of written complaints. However, due to pressure from the college administration, the students end up taking back their complaints most of the time.”

 

DU Beat tried contacting Moksh for a comment, but he was unavailable for the same.

Measures should be taken to prevent such acts from happening. Colleges should make students aware of the repercussions of such behaviour. They should also spread awareness about the bodies and authorities responsible for such cases, along with an approachable environment to encourage students to step forward. Bystanders or fellow students aware of such happenings should not view this as a ‘personal matter’ and speak up for the person suffering. Such issues should not be viewed as a matter of reputation but an individual matter to be handled with utmost sensitivity and care.

 

Feature Image Credits: Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies

 

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Harassment and Lack of Security During Fest Season: An Ongoing Issue

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Numerous victims wrote to us their incidents of harassment and molestation during fests.

The fest season has kicked off with the annual cultural fest of Gargi College, Reverie which took place from 30th January to 1st February 2019. Despite having a number of competitions, some of the best societies coming to participate, and a glorious celebrity line-up with The Local Train, DJ Zaeden and Prateek Kuhad, the fest failed on a basic ground level service of providing a safe environment.

Girls were catcalled, groped and grinded left, right and centre during not just Prateek Kuhad’s concert but during EDM night too. Samra Shahzad, a first-year student of  Gargi College reported to DU Beat that a guy stared at her when she was dancing and came up to her saying she dances well, the look on his face was suggestive and horrifying, it certainly wasn’t a compliment. Several guys then, forced her to give them her contact number and became quite aggressive when she refused which made her feel extremely unsafe during her own college fest. Her friend pushed, scolded, and glared at numberless guys who were trying to get questionably close to her while she was dancing. DU Beat members faced aggressive masculine misbehaviour first-hand. Our photographers caught some boys pushing girls near barricades on EDM night.

Not only boys, but girls were also seen misbehaving and physically harassing other girls. An anonymous source commented, “I kept count. 4 groped me, and 7 touched me inappropriately. They were like- relax, that’s the fun about swinging it both ways.” There were no volunteers,  administration or union members in the crowd to report such incidents to. The crowd outside the barricades was left unattended, at the hands of minimal security.

Security at fests is one of the most important duties of the organisers. While the entry was supposed to be closed at 5:00 pm, students reported that many people entered the college even till 6:30 pm. Even though only students of the University of Delhi, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and Delhi Technological University were allowed, but students from other universities entered without proper checking at the gates.  A student reported that a boy asked her if she knew someone in the student union to get back ‘some of’ his confiscated weed. The fest on-lookers also saw empty liquor bottles lying around the campus.

When girls at Gargi College personally messaged their own stories of harassment to the  Student Council, the President responded by saying, “It is very unfortunate how the line of incidents went down even when we tried to make sure security is handled. We tried to manage our best but there were so much nuisance and many ill elements present in the field. In terms of checking, we shall make sure right people are caught hold of who didn’t do their work properly.” She also thanked girls who came up to tell their stories.

The irony is that the theme of Reverie was “A Brave New World: An Ode to Diversity” which worked on the principles of 3C’s, Consent, Choice and Conservation. Celebration of such empowering themes now stands ironically juxtaposed.

Students on the condition of anonymity have come forward with their stories of groping and harassment from previous year fests like Crossroads (Shri Ram College of Commerce), Tempest (Miranda House), and others.

However, the Reverie incident was only the recent episode of ongoing experiences of harassments in the college fests. On the assurance of anonymity, a final-year student of Miranda House accounts, “These incidents are so common in fests that over the years, you get used to them. There is almost never anyone to make complaints.” She goes on to add, “The fest organising team has to understand this as a major issue. Unless the weeding out of such acts is as much a priority as the fest itself, things will not get better.” Security and gate-checking should be one of the prerogatives of the teams to ensure a good time by all and for all.

 

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Delhi University Student Jumps Out of Moving Bus to Escape Molesters

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In another dismal case of harassment, a 19-year-old Delhi University student jumped out of a DTC bus to escape her molesters after months of continued abuse. Police takes notice after the victim’s sister shared the ordeal in a series of tweets.

A 19-year-old University of Delhi student jumped out of a moving bus in an unsurprising reminder of our failure as a society to secure safety for women. The details of the case were shared by the victim’s sister in a series of tweets.  In South Delhi’s South Extension area, the victim was been molested for more than three months by the same group of men. The girl faced molestation seven times in the three months of reported abuse, every day, en route to her college.

The victim’s sister shared the ordeal in detail, in a series of tweets. “This group of men use to travel on bus route number 544 and repeatedly harass her and other women going to colleges. Once she raised an alarm and got one of the men thrown out of the bus, but he was back again the next day,” she claimed. She also mentioned that the victim was forced to miss her classes to avoid travelling on that route. “The men specifically travel on this route as many students use it to go to their colleges. Recently one of the men told my sister that he knows which college she studies in. Threatened, she jumped out of the moving bus in order to avoid that man,” the victim’s sister stated.

Taking note of the viral tweets on social media, south Delhi DCP Vijay Kumar asked for further details on the matter. Further investigations have been ordered. Senior cops said that a case would be registered accordingly, and officers in plain clothes will be deployed on buses plying on that route to identify the suspects and catch them off-guard.

It is not uncommon for us to hear these incidents every now and then. This is probably why the prospect of women’s safety was heightened in the recent DUSU election manifestos of all political parties. However, it takes a strong initiative to deal with the reality of the situation. As much as we need equal opportunities for women, we also need to ensure their sustenance to reach their full potential. The first step in this context is to strengthen the legal punishment meted out to such molesters.

Feature Image Credits: Deccan Chronicle

Kartik Chauhan

[email protected]

 

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Speedy Trial in Sexual Harassment Cases, DUTA President writes to the VC

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Rajib Ray, the President of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), on behalf of DUTA has written to the Vice-Chancellor of the University on 17th April expressing concern over the recent sexual harassment cases that have come to light.

The letter stated various violations by the colleges. It has been observed that the accused is often a person of authority and is successful in intimidating and silencing the complainants and witnesses. Despite this, stern action is not taken against the accused which raises doubts about the inquiry committee and process. A number of colleges/departments have flouted the University Grants Commission’s guideline for conducting student elections for the Internal Complaints Committee. In cases where reports have been submitted to the Apex Committee, the recommendations have not been placed before the Executive Council for implementation. The other cases have not been pursued in a time-bound manner leading to the subversion of justice and redressal.

It has also been articulated that women students and employees continue to face sexual harassment. The DUTA President has urged the Vice-Chancellor to take the cases from Department of Chemistry and African Studies, Swami Shraddhanand College, Bharti College, Daulat Ram College, and College of Vocational Studies seriously.

In conversation with DU Beat, Abha Deb Habib, an active member of DUTA added, a University with 1.5 lakh students in regular courses and over four lakh students in SOL (School of Open Learning) has to provide a safe environment for women students, which means that there cannot be any kind of laxity in handling cases of sexual harassment. With a large number of outstation students, it becomes even more crucial to provide them safety. It is unfortunate to see that in the Chemistry Department case, the Head was not removed while the inquiry was taking place against him on charges of sexual harassment. A system of fair and time-bound inquiry is a must if we wish to curb this social problem and empower our women students.

 

Feature Image Credits: Counter Currents
Prachi Mehra
[email protected]

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