'Fest harassment': Students, teachers seek action in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Teachers and students of Delhi University on Sunday held an online Jan Sunwai meeting over an incident of trespass and alleged molestation at the Indraprastha College for Women by several men in the middle of a fest.
They said that the college had not filed a police complaint on the March 28 incident, which could later lead to claims that this was a small incident.
Principal Poonam Kumria did not respond to calls and messages from TOI on the matter.
Students who participated in Sunday's meeting said they were disallowed from gathering in the college and detained by the police. This prompted them to hold the online meeting.
They cited instances of women students being groped and molested on March 28 as the men scaled the walls of the college while trying to enter the campus.
Nilabja, a student of the college working as a volunteer in the fest, said: "There was a stampede on March 28 where women were injured. As they tried to get out of the crowd, they were harassed, they were crying and their clothes were crumpled. When the gates were closed, some men scaled the hostel walls. Despite such an incident, the fest was held when in attendance there were hardly 10% of IP college students. It was mostly men who were present and the principal went on stage and said it was a successful event."
Arundhati, another student, during a protest days after the incident, they were forcibly detained and taken to Burari police station. "When students protested from 11 am in the morning to 7.15 pm on March 31, university officials came and told us that a disciplinary committee had been constituted by the principal and university had also constituted a proctorial committee," she said.
However, Anita Banerji, a teacher at the college, said the disciplinary committee was formed in complete violation of rules. "I am deeply troubled that the college has not lodged an FIR against the trespass or hooliganism. The college ought to have lodged an FIR. The absence of any legal complaint will result in a narrative being built that it was a small incident and nothing happened. On March 28, I was on duty and saw men coming from various points and students getting injured," she said.
Another teacher, Anita Tagore, said the students could file an official complaint at any of the police station or even with the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), which has already sent a notice to the college following a representation from students. Monday is the last date for the college to respond to DCW.
Maya John, a history teacher at Jesus and Mary College who is an academic council member, said she will raise the matter in the council. "It is due to institutional apathy that these things keep happening. First at Gargi (College), then Miranda (House), and in just a few months at another women's college. It is important for us to keep raising questions on what the university and the college are doing for women's safety as this is a matter of sexual harassment."
Some women organisations also joined the Jan Sunwai.