Today, March 31, the All India Students' Association (AISA) has organised a protest march at around 2 pm, in response to the recent events at Indraprastha (IP) College. President of AISA, Delhi University (DU), Abhigyan Devyani Gandhi, has underscored that the march aims to set a precedent against the long-standing issues within DU. It is not just a reaction to the incident at IP, but also an assertion against the recurring injustices at DU, particularly towards female students. There was also a separate march that was organised by the IP college students today at 11 am to "reclaim IPCW".
“It is a collective outcry against the continuous suppression of freedom and dignity within DU,” says Abhigyan. Citing incidents of female students being subjected to curfews and being locked in during Holi, he continues, “These are just a few examples of the ongoing issues. Furthermore, what happened at IP this week is not an isolated incident, but rather a recurring pattern at gender minority colleges like Miranda House and Gargi College that has been ignored time and again.”
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What happened at IP college?
To recall, on March 28, during the second day of the annual fest at IP college, a group of men infiltrated the campus of this women’s college. Students alleged that they were harassed, groped and cat-called but the police and the administration did nothing to arrest or take action against the situation. “They were holding placards with slogans that read, ‘Are you single’. They were also chanting that what happened in Miranda will be repeated,” says Anjali, the secretary of AISA DU and former student of IP. Men were also spotted climbing the walls of the college creating a ruckus on campus and leading to stampedes and injury. IP students further claim that they were the ones policed instead of those that caused the ruckus.
“Following day when we reached the campus to stage protests against the incident, it seemed to be converted into a police cantonment,” informs Anjali, adding, “Where were these police and CRPF when gender minorities were getting harassed the other day?” The protesting students at IP on March 29 were detained by the Delhi Police. They allege that they were manhandled and beaten up by the police. “For every two female police officers, there were four male officers who were dragging and detaining us. The administration only remembers to take strict police action when it comes to protesting.”
The students of IP college are now demanding the resignation of Principal Poonam Kumria, who was blamed for the inaction on the day of the fest and the detainment of college students. “The students are injured and aggrieved after these incidents and this march is to set a precedent that enough is enough,” says Abhigyan. “The march serves to express their anger, autonomy, and desire for freedom — to represent their Azadi.”
