What is the issue?
- There is an ongoing unrest in Benaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi.
- It brings to light the larger problem of orthodoxy mindset of the educational institution.
What is the recent chaos?
- The issue started off with an agitation by woman students of BHU, against a sexual harassment incident.
- It took a violent turn when students took to protest in vice-chancellor's (VC's) office for his insensitive handling of the molestation issue.
- Subsequently, stringent police action resulted in students and reporters becoming victims of a baton-charge.
- Soon, many other activists from women's groups and student organisations started protesting against the lathi-charge on women students.
- As the problem escalated, the UP CM was approached and several other universities in the state were also shut.
What are the inherent drawbacks in the varsity?
- The university is largely dominated by the ideology of “manuvaad”.
- The university, thus for long, had been noted for its caste and gender based discriminatory practices.
- Gender - The university has some restrictions and practises that are applicable only to female students. These include:
- Scholarships for women scholars are denied by charging that the money is being used for financing the marriage dowry.
- Women students are not allowed to eat non-vegetarian food in their mess.
- They are not allowed to use mobile phones after 10 pm and access to the internet in hostels is strictly prohibited.
- They are not given the freedom to wear dresses of their choice and are restricted in the name of customs.
- Women students are told that the campus is unsafe for them after 10 pm and curfew is imposed.
- Why are the women unsafe after 10pm and where from/who the threat is, is largely unaddressed and uncared for.
- Caste - Recently there was protest in BHU questioning the unconstitutional methods deployed for campus appointments.
- Officials seem to be exercising their discretion and caste prejudices become evident in making appointments.
- Politics - The deans and professors accused of harassment/molestation enjoy impunity.
- The students of the depressed classes who voiced their anger against preferential appointments were slapped with threats of expulsion.
- The affected students, women and those from depressed classes, have no legitimate avenue to voice their concerns.
- The VC of the university is more politically driven or is more politically conscious in addressing these students grievances.
- Legitimate grievances, when taken through students union, are suppressed by putting forward the notion that students are involving in politics.
What is required?
- Evidently, the recent protest is the culmination of decades of locked up resentment for a culture of suppression.
- The BHU movement is a declaration of freedom for all women who are demanding justice against sexist rules, moral policing and victim shaming.
- What is needed is not merely removing the existing VC but undertaking an institutional overhaul and establishing a more sensitive leadership.
- The charter and constitution of the university should be implemented in letter and spirit.
- It should be ensured that women on campus are made only safe and not made its captives.
- A functional and democratically elected students’ union should be an active means to voice some of the legitimate concerns.
Source: Indian Express
