IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Sep 25: Eminent academicians and civil rights activists have written to President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking immediate action against the police lathi-charge on women students of Banaras Hindu University. They also demanded a judicial inquiry of the incident and fulfilment of the demands put up by the students.
“We strongly condemn the university authorities and the brutal police action on students sitting on a strike since 22nd of September protesting against the sexual harassment within the campus premise of BHU,” they said in the letter.
On the night of 23 September, police forces lathi charged and injured students.
“The police entered the university campus and the girls hostels and dragged girls out and assaulted them. They used tear gas and rubber bullets on the unarmed students. Even those students sitting on hunger strike were not spared,” they said.
“This is a complete failure of the Vice Chancellor of the University to protect students and their rights to free speech. The administration has miserably failed to respond institutionally to an incident as grave as sexual harassment. Instead it has responded by unleashing violence on peaceful and non-violent protestors and choosing to crush the constitutional rights of free speech and expression of students,” the letter reads signed by around 50 academicians and activists.
“We demand immediate action be taken against the police for the brutal act, suspension of the SP/DIG, judicial inquiry of the event and meeting the demands of the students and ensure their treatment and safety. We demand accountability of the University authorities as students are living and studying within the University premises and their safety has to be guaranteed by the head of the institution.”
The demands of the students holding protest included:
1. Ensure strict legal action against those responsible for the harassment faced by the student concerned
2. Make provisions of lighting up all the dark zones and spots of the University campus
3. Continuous patrolling of security guards
4. Gender sensitization of administrative staff and teaching faculty
5. Provision for hostels for girls
6. Abolition of curfew timings in girls hostels
7. Formation of Gender Sensitization and Sexual Harassment Committee
8. Recruitment of women security personnel
9. Inclusion of female functionaries in Proctorial board
10. Equality in food offered in hostels of boys and girls
11. Installation of CCTV cameras in prominent spots
Meanwhile, reports coming from Lucknow say some local police and administrative officials have been transferred.
Signatories to the letter include:
Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh, MKSS
Abha Bhaiya, Jagori
Prof. Apoorvanand, Delhi University
Prof. Satish Deshpande, Delhi University
Prof. Nivedita Menon, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Prof. Shoba Ghosh, Mumbai University
Dr. Mary E John, Centre for Women Studies
Prof. Rajni Palriwala, Delhi University
Dr. Brinda Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Prof. Ayesha Kidwai, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Harsh Mander
Kavita Srivastava, PUCL
Arundhuri Dhuru, NAPM
Manoj Mitta, Journalist and Author
Dr. Dilip Simeon
Mukul Mangalik, University of Delhi
Panchali Ray, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
Vijay Pratap
Avinash Kumar
Maya Krishna Rao
Rita Manchanda
Virginia Saldanha, Mumbai
Niti Saxena, Lucknow
Shampa Sengupta, Disabilities and Gender Rights Activists, Kolkata
Susie Tharu, Hyderabad
Madhu Bhushan, Bangalore
Rakhi Sehgal
Annanya Bhattacharjee, Garment and Allied Workers Union, North India
Vipul Mudgal, Inclusive Media for Change/ Common Cause
Shambhu Ghatak, Inclusive Media for Change/ Common Cause
Runu Chakraborthy
Suroor
Amrita Nandy, Delhi
Svati Joshi, Delhi University
Uma V Chandru, WSS, Bangalore
Ajita, Dalit Feminist Delhi
Ritambhara Mehta and Nazariya, A Queer Feminist Resource Group
Navneet Gupta
Mast Ram, Jagori
Anupama Rawat, Jagori Rural
Ruby Sharma
Anoop Kumar, Jagori
Asha Sharma, Jagori
Aliya Tuzhilin
Manish Sharma
