Now Who Will Marry You? JNU Father Wants To Call His Daughter Home

Outstation JNU students, especially women, are having a tough time fighting the media hype back home.

JNU students are having a hard time answering questions back home. (Photo: IANS)

BJP MLA Gyandev Ahuja’s claim that more than 3,000 used condoms were found in JNU every day, hasn’t gone down too well with the parents of some JNU students. Women from JNU are being labelled ‘loose’ and what not. Many girls students had to convince their parents that much of what that they hear in the news is a far cry from the truth. One student summed it – “JNU is home to all kinds of people; Delhi is not India and India is not Delhi”.

A ruthless 24/7 media has run a campaign to malign JNU. The discourse on beer bottles and condoms hasn’t gone down well with our parents back home. Many of us come from small towns and conservative families. What do you think our parents watching TV back home are thinking? 

Maheeka, Student, JNU 

The Media Drives ‘Home’ the JNU Issue

Gyandev Ahuja, BJP MLA from Alwar made some bizarre comments about JNU. (Photo: The Quint)

Some students say their parents are threatening to pull them out of the university, brandishing the ‘now who will marry you’ question. In fact, this is emerging as a far bigger concern for these students than parliamentarians questioning their nationalism or autowalas refusing them rides.

The Quint spoke to a few outstation JNU students – mainly women – who said that while what has happened at JNU over the last twenty odd days is very close to their hearts, courtesy the media coverage, it is now also close to home.

Parents don’t want to send their kids to JNU. The sad part is that this impacts only the poorer sections. JNU is one of the few institutions that has made quality higher education accessible to the poor. For the rich, there are always other options.

Anamika, PhD Student, School of International Studies 

‘Now Who Will Marry You?’

Many women students are having to convince families back home not to believe the media. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook/standwithjnu)

Another student told The Quint after her father threatened to call her back home, that she wants no more ‘trouble’. She is reluctant to share her story with us, but emphasizes that she doesn’t ascribe to any political views, didn’t vote in the JNUSU elections, but is really keen on completing her education.

People in Delhi won’t understand, but I come from a conservative family and with everything that is being said on TV about JNU students, my father is now questioning his decision to let me come here and study. He wants me to come home because now apparently nobody will marry a girl from JNU.

Student, JNU 

‘My Sister Is Taunted Because I am from JNU’

Students say the language in Kanhaiya’s bail order is reflected in people’s mindsets. (Photo: Facebook/standwithjnu)

Another JNU master’s student who comes from Azamgarh shares her story, on the condition of anonymity. She is from a family of lawyers and said it was a matter of pride for her family when she got through to JNU. She now claims that her sister’s in-laws have started taunting her after all that is being said in the media about JNU.

I come from a very respected family of lawyers in Azamgarh. My sister’s in-laws are repeatedly taunting her because I study in JNU. We have lost our academic credentials. Read Kanhaiya’s bail order – it is exactly what is being reflected in mindsets of people. 

Student, JNU 

Debate and dissent are good for democracy but the JNU discourse in the last few weeks has caused a lot of discord within families. For many students, especially those who come from small towns, higher education while it may be a right is actually more of a privilege. But in the glare of all the publicity, the hype, the accusations and stereotyping, some are insecure they may lose this ‘privilege’ and that will not be good for family or for democracy.