In yet another incident at yet another college, students of NIT Agartala are protesting against regressive hostel rules. They were recently slapped with a notice of the curfew being changed to until 6:00 p.m. on weekends and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays for a “healthier and smarter future,” as any time after 6:00 p.m. might make women “a prey to snake bites.” That makes me wonder, since when have snakes become gender specific with who they bite?
The women also are not allowed food deliveries post 6:00 p.m, further affecting the idea of freedom for the women at NIT’s Gargi Hostel. The procedure for leave applications are strict to the extent where the hostel authorities demand to be intimated about leaves five days before taking it.
The students had an outburst regarding the repressing and unreasonable attitude of the administration. The administration has been reluctant to listen to their demands, forget about fulfilling them. Furthermore, the administration has also brought in the parents of the protesting women, complaining about them and their behaviour on the campus.
On the other hand, women who sat in protest until 10:00 p.m. not only found themselves safe, but also secure in their unity against the administration. Students are demanding that they be permitted to order food 24×7 and that the library and food complex also be accessible 24 hours. They are also demanding that they be allowed to remain outside the campus till 10:00 p.m.
On April 8, the women were protesting on empty stomachs and with no streets lights over their heads. While the administration is worried about the safety of the women, no street lights does seem unreasonable and raises a question about the administration definition of ‘safety.’
These incidents are a testimony to the patriarchal mindset that the administration has which seeks to instill fear within the women of the institute. It’s an additional teaching on moral grounds that only women of ‘wrong character and attitude’ roam on the streets at night because they do not care about the danger lingering on the streets.
Pinjra Tod has been instrumental in bringing forth the struggle of the students at NIT Agartala. It is a collective that demands abolishment of curfews, affordable accommodation for women, regularisation of PGs, and a constitution of an elected Internal Complaints Committees for prevention, prohibition and redressal of sexual harassment in the university space.
Recently, in Jamia Millia Islamia, a notice restricted women to even seek permission to stay out post 8:00 p.m. In retaliation, Pinjra Tod began protests inside the gates of Jamia, but later on captured the capital like wildfire. A student of Jamia also wrote an open-letter to the Vice-Chancellor of the university to eliminate constraints that encroached upon their right to freedom.