Punjabi University Students’ Protests Against Patriarchal Rules in Campus enters 22nd Day

“When I set foot inside this institute, I expect to be taken as an equal, is it to much to ask for?” said Pooja from Punjabi University, as she geared up for another round of gherao scheduled outside the Vice Chancellor’s office.

Punjabi University, set in Patiala, is having its very own gender revolution moment. The ongoing struggle for a campus free from gender discrimination and unfair curfew norms for students has entered its 22nd day. Spearheaded by the left-leaning Democratic Students’ Organisation, the protest is supported by five other Left student bodies, including Punjab Students’ Union (PSU), PSU Lalkaar, All India Students Federation (AISF), Students Federation of India (SFI) and Punjab Radical Students Union (PRSU).

The protests by the female students of the University have been met with abhorring repression from the administration. The students have been trying to engage with the administration over separate curfews for men and women for almost a month. However, the negotiations did not work in line with the demands of the students. Following this, the angered female students decided to boycott the 8 PM attendance curfew of the hostel by staging a dharna outside the gate from October 6 onwards. Pooja added, “We decided that we will not succumb to this system at any cost. This is our legitimate demand.”

Administration Calls up Students’ Parents

To reprimand the female students, the administration resorted to filming and identifying the female students, and calling up their parents to complain about them. “The language used to describe us was absolutely cheap, they told our parents we want to get the curfew removed since we want to wander around with men.”

The protests took a radical turn on October 5, as the students formed a human chain and broke the hostel locks, vowing not to back down.

The administration’s dealing of the situation is what can be termed best as a culture of shame and silence, one that curbs women from raising their voices. Gurpreet Romana, a protesting student said, “We are not backing down, we have a street play planned today, we will continue to gherao until our voices are heard.”

Previously, the students had also resorted to a hunger strike which was then called off on October 1. Pooja explained, “The logjam of negotiations with the administration does not seem to end. This is because they are trivialising our demands. While the meetings keep going on for hours and hours, no solution is attained since the administration's approach to our problems is fundamentally flawed.”

Approach to Curb Women’s Freedom

The approach of the administration of Punjabi University, is similar to what has been witnessed across multiple campuses of higher education in India. It is of one which cultivates a culture where women’s mobility must be curbed, and their morality protected. This approach ends up sidelining their own autonomy, reducing them to objects that require protection. Shedding light on her personal experience of protesting, Pooja stated, “We as women are used to facing discrimination in multiple spheres of our existence, if I don't claim the university space, who will?” The slogans of the protesting students are directly targeting patriarchy, “Pittrasatta ki kabr khudegi PUP ki dharti pe, Inquilab Zindabad (Patriarchy’s grave will be dug in PUP, Long Live Revolution)”, “Narri Mukti, Hostel curfew se Azaadi (Freedom for women, freedom from hostel curfew).”

The protests initially started on September 18, after the Democratic Students’ Organisation (DSO) had taken out a march over the same demands. Over 70 students participated in the march, wherein the cases of reported eve teasing and hurling of abuses at the women protestors by the Students’ Association of Punjab (SAP) brought the issue to the fore. The female students had also been subjected to physical manhandling, with many experiencing grave injuries during their protest outside the VC’s office.