On Valentine’s Day, Women Students Challenge Misogynistic Practices in Delhi University

Valentine’s day is an unusually busy day for the Hindu Mahasabha and also for a section of students from Hindu College in Delhi University, as every year some male students decorate the “V” shaped tree, popularly known as the “Virginity” tree, and do a pooja (paying respects) of the  tree as also to a goddess “Damdami Mai”, which is usually an objectified image of a female Bollywood actor.

The ritual is conducted by a hostel fresher dressed as a brahmin pandit in janeu (sacred thread). Hundreds of men gather every year in an event charged with masculine aggression to chant the 'prayer' below to Damdami Mai whose blessings are supposed to lead them into finding a girlfriend within six weeks for the purpose of losing their 'virginity’.

Savitri teri sapno ko hum manzil tak pohchayenge! brahmanwad ho barbad, pitrisatta ho barbad! (We will make your dreams come true, Savitri Bai, Brahmanism down down, patriarchy down, down) chanted the female protestors braving the Delhi winter and rains in the premises of Hindu College against the Pooja of the virginity tree.

The practice has been heavily criticised over the last few years, with many terming it as a crude display of hypermasculine aggression, which finds its roots in Brahmanical tradition.

This year, however, a full-fledged confrontation erupted on the premises of the campus as women students united under the banner of Pinjra Tod- Break the hostel Locks, supported by progressive student groups, such as the Students Federation of India (SFI) and others, decided to take on the practice in order to stop the Pooja from taking place.

Nilanjita Biswas of the SFI, who was present at the event, alleged,” We were initially trying to explain as to what was the problem with the practice, but we were attacked, thrashed and dragged by our hair, the boys hostel members were being actively supported by the men belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), they were also throwing water on us from the condoms, they tried to manhandle the protestors and using cuss words.”

Speaking to Newsclick, Natasha Narwal, a member of the collective said, “College spaces are becoming grounds for the display of masculine aggression and these supposedly harmless practices add to that, the V tree puja has happened over the years and has also been previously challenged, this time we were able to create women students participation and an assertion of women students in the hopes of initiating a dialogue on these problematic practices to make them realise why is it wrong.”

The chaos unfolded as on Wednesday night, the women from the hostel tried to break out to see the preparations of the pooja, Natasha added, “Over 30 students camped outside the gate last night, it is shocking to see the administration lending its support to the men who want these practices.” To evade scrutiny the students from the boys hostel also went ahead to state that the practice will not be oriented towards objectifying women but celebrating happy couples, protestors however feel this was merely an eyewash. Amidst the clashes between the students from the boys hostel and the female protestors many women were successful in climbing up the tree and taking out the decorations.

Another sexist tradition of the ANGA oath stood cancelled by St. Stephen’s College. In keeping with tradition the men in the college read out the Allnutt North Gentlemen’s Association (ANGA) Oath. Which stated--

We the people of ANGA, have solemnly resolved to constitute ANGA into a Paramount Egalitarian Fellowship and to secure to all its members Justice – Social, Sexual and Sentimental Liberty – to philander exclusively with men Equality – of status and opportunity and to promote among them all misogyny assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity of ANGA Hail ANGA!

This year, the students cancelled the event on the grounds of it promoting misogyny and homophobia.

The important issue underlying these protests is primarily that of making college spaces fair and accessible to women, ones that don't promote toxic masculinity, fighting barricades, police deployment and the aggression of the men, the female students asserted their power and their renewed commitment to the cause.