'Crackdown on Women Protesters After IP College Incident Unforgivable': DU Prof

The Quint speaks to DU Prof Abha Dev Habib on unsafe campus space and how the situation can be improved.

Abha Dev Habib has been in Miranda House since 1991 -- first as a student, and then as a professor. 

(Vibhushita Singh/The Quint) 

On 28 March, men climbed walls and trespassed into Delhi University’s Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) while college fest 'Shruti’ was going on.

In October 2022, Miranda House’s Diwali Mela saw a similar turn of events. Men climbed walls and allegedly harassed the female students.

In 2020, Gargi College students alleged that they were groped, molested and harassed by unknown men during a college event.  

Why are such incidents on the rise in women's colleges in DU? What can be done to stop such incidents? The Quint speaks to Professor Abha Dev Habib, who has been at DU's Miranda House since 1991 -- first as a student, and then as a professor -- about safe and unsafe campus spaces.  

Do you remember facing incidents of harassment while you were a student at DU?

Well, I don't remember such any such incidents when I was a student. College fests have gained momentum in the last two decades. When I joined as a teacher, fests were more of a cultural celebration. When I became a professor in 2001, there was a peak in cultural activities.

Students (from outside) have always wanted to come to our college. But I had never witnessed what happened at Gargi College, Miranda House and IPCW. I was not there during the Diwali Mela Miranda House. It was only later that my colleagues told me about how horrible it was. People not only came in but they also went through the corridors and disrupted classes. I had never witnessed anything like this before.

The number of such incidents have increased in the recent years. Why do you think this is happening?

I think that now there is a whole population of students who could not enjoy school and college as much because of the pandemic. Mostly, the crowd comprises students, ex-students, those in correspondence courses or others who are not DU students at all. They might have heard about the fests and wanted to attend.

We also need to look at the larger picture. All across the country, there is masculine behaviour on the rise... What happened in the Kathua rape case or in the Bilkis Bano case. It appears that people are ready to violate because they feel like they can get away it.

If there were really slogans such as, ‘Pehle Miranda, Ab IP (First Miranda, now IP),’ then it looks like there is a section pushing them to do this.

These colleges have been epicentres of social transformation, women are challenging the social structures. These colleges are seen as ‘left’ because social order is being challenged. To me it appears like there are sections that want to crush these spaces, and it seems like there is a vendetta.

When an incident like this takes place, who looks into the matter within the college? And who in your opinion should be held accountable?

During the Diwali Mela at Miranda House, we did not think that there would be such a crowd. This time, flyers went out... Women were emotionally rattled. If there is a stampede and someone loses their lives, then the college authorities will be held accountable. There can always be a miscalculation.

After the incident, we had set up a committee to look into the matter. For all events, we now have registration forms so that we can understand how many people from outside are coming. We are yet to figure out how to hold our annual college fest.

What is happening at IP College since the incident, however, is a cause for concern. The protests by young women are a call to society. The college administration should allow such protests. Even if they cannot participate, the crackdown on protesters is unforgivable. The revolt from the victims' side, draws society’s attention to what is right and what is wrong. Quelling protests is unbecoming of a university and the principal.

The college should look into whether an FIR has been filed. If it has not been filed, then the college should look into why not. The attention has turned to curbing dissent. I am in solidarity with the protesting students.

The university administration released a notice about forming a committee to look into the incident but there are no students in this committee. Should students be a part of these committees?

Miranda House has an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and a rigorous process to select its members. The university could have invited a few students from the ICC of IP College. If this committee does not have a statutory structure, they should consider involving one student from the ICC of other women's colleges as well.

What is the way forward when an incident like this occurs? What kind of action should be taken?

If we look at mob lynching or the Bilkis Bano case, people are getting away and these cases set a precedent for the rest of society. The government is keeping quiet, and the police will function accordingly.

If students are involved, there has to be counselling. It is not enough to punish, we also need to counsel. There should be different degrees of punishment depending on what they are charged with so I cannot make a blanket statement on the kind of punishment.

The university should certainly look into counselling these students. Furthermore, agitation should come from all colleges. If women’s colleges are being forced to close their doors to outsiders, it's not good either. It is the same mentality we have when we say that women should stay indoors because they will be molested outside. All young men and women should understand that this is not okay.

Does the university have any gender sensitisation workshops or consent education? What efforts can colleges with male students take to prevent such incidents?

I do not think there are. There is a Women's Development Cell (WDC) and a Queer Collective in all DU colleges. They do organise seminars but I do not know if the number of students attending these seminars is enough.With regards to gender issues, students should be first sensitised in school, and then at the undergraduate level.  

There is, however, a larger camaraderie among students across campuses. For instance, the Pinjra Tod protests stressed on autonomous and elected Internal Complaints Committees across DU colleges and this was pivotal at the time.

One of our ideas was that the WDCs of all colleges can come together to protest or to organise workshops. In addition to this, the colleges should rethink fests, and move the focus back on cultural activities rather than on hosting a DJ night or inviting one big star and having thousands of students rush to see these stars.