Students protest outside SOL, demand committee against sexual harassment

New Delhi

Following the death of the 21-year-old Dalit, the students of Delhi University staged a protest demonstration demanding the formation of a committee against sexual harassment in School of Open Learning  (SOL) on Sunday. The students held the first round of campaigning outside the institution and this is to be followed on Monday in regard to the same. Further, the students demanded immediate formation of a Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) in SOL and probe in the matter of negligence by police.

Hundreds of women students signed the memorandum demanding immediate constitution of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for sexual harassment in all DU colleges, investigation on police officials who did not take action and formation of Equal Opportunity Cells. “We refuse to lose more lives and further to caste and gender violence, to the lack of institutional mechanisms of support,” highlighted the students. A delegation met H.C Pokhriyal, Executive director, SOL with the demand to form GSCASH.

He said, “The administration is willing to form it and will initiate the process if elaborate mechanism and structure is suggested.”  The 21-year-old was a Bcom students at Delhi University’s SOL left behind a suicide note blaming her ex-boyfriend for her death.  In her suicide note, she talked about how her boyfriend started ignoring her and used caste-based slurs after she revealed her caste. Students alleged that complaints were filed in two police stations- first in Roop Nagar and later in Model Town police station.

However, the cops failed to take any action, until the girl was pushed to such desperation that she had to commit suicide. “This tragic incident points to the absence of a functional Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment, which institutions such as the SOL must have, where such cases of violence and intimidation can be addressed,” echoed students.

Source: Millennium Post