English: Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, India, speaks during the welcome lunch at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit 2008 in New Delhi (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
On 6th of February, there was a large protest against the invitation of and talk by Narendra Modi by SRCC Students Union, organised by various students groups and individuals. The road in front of SRCC had 3 rows of barricades on each side, some of which were subsequently broken. The Delhi police was extremely vicious in their handling of the situation, and were both highly sexist and communal. They passed lewd comments about women standing near the barricade, made kissing gestures and noises, asked women to come closer and talk to them. They also very openly stared and laughed at women in a way that was clearly sexual. When a woman student demanded that women police officers be present at the barricade as well to confront women students, she was told ‘aap aurat kahaan se hain’. Women were also told repeatedly to give up as they’re too weak to break barricades. Some women were told that they should stop protesting or they would be meted the same treatment as women in Gujarat in 2002. At the police station, women students were groped and felt up by the police when they tried to enter.
In addition to this the police also detained 8 protestors. ABVP students were allowed on the other side of the barricade, one even climbed the water cannon, but none of them were detained. This was despite them threatening students, particularly women, by saying things like “jo gujrat ke aurton ka haal kiya wohi tera hoga”. The police, after lathi charging students, laughing and joking as they did so, went on to drag students and throw them in the middle of ABVP and RSS activists, where they were further beaten up.
They were attacked by both ABVP goons and the police, who were supporting each other. The police were particularly obnoxious, whistling and winking at the female students (who were also groped at the Thana) and beating them (and the boys) up sadistically with lathis in addition to water cannons. The ABVP threatened them with Gujarat-like consequences – “Jo Gujarat mein huya vaise tujh me ghusa doonga” while brandishing a stick and similar things. Meanwhile the police were watching and laughing at the girls and other protestors and saying things like “kar le jo karna hai, kya lar payegi” and openly supporting the ABVP students, who were even dancing on the water cannons as they aimed at the protestors. The worst is that they would pick up some of the protestors (including young women) and push them into a crowd of ABVP goons who would then beat them. Some protestors were picked up and taken to the police station, and beaten up on the way (including on the head and groin with lathis). NONE of this shocking stuff is coming out in any of the news reports.
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February 7, 2013 at 12:51 am
Disgusted but I guess it’s time Indians gave the protest strategy a second thought. This rarely works and at what cost?! Most protests eventually end on a violent note and the calm non-violent ones are ignored by the media. This nation needs a new plan to get voices heard without being creamed through the ‘lathi, water cannon and political thug’ machinery first.
February 7, 2013 at 8:09 am
Ye sari woman protested apni ma chudwane gayi thi waha.. Bina matlab ka protest kis kaam ka.. Udta teer lene ki aadat pad gayi h sabko.. To lo ab
February 8, 2013 at 2:20 pm
abe o kamakal…..post pe comment kar k ka chaurai le rahe ho be..himmat hai to waha aajate….jo ladkiyaan protest kar rahi thi na wo ‘tera’ kaat k phenk dene ki himmat rakhti hain…aukaad mein reh warna apne mard hone pe sharm aane lagega tujhe !!!!
February 7, 2013 at 1:17 pm
Where was the huge army of NSUI? Haven’t they won most of DUSU seats this year? After all the raving and ranting against Modi by the Congress, when it comes to action — the Congress youth goes missing, rather they seemed to have chickened out! So much for Rahul Gandhi’s youth power!!!
February 7, 2013 at 5:36 pm
when police were making these gestures, what were you NSUI stooges doing there? Hila rahe the kya as you guys normally do for Gandhi Family?