Happenings

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” -Albert Camus. We are endued to be born in a country which has, as of 2024, memorialized its 78th birth anniversary, the 78th year of its independence. By dint of this very independence every last citizen of India has savored the sweet flavour of liberty, drank the nectar of security and thus, reveled in the wake of an unbounded financial growth.

However, only recently, have we perceived that some of us died starving, only recently, have we ascertained that one chalice was poisoned; and only recently, have we detected that some were reserved not to commemorate, but to simply cleanse and wipe the dregs of a wild carouse. As of this moment, we are tragically aware that while India achieved independence, not every Indian did. Liberty hasn’t cradled every child with its warmth. Freedom has favoured some, and these ‘some’ have intentionally forsaken the 4,45,256 abused Indian women (National Crime Records Bureau, 2022), who had to struggle for their survival. That 1 woman of every 3, who had to go through the ordeal of either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence (estimates published by World Health Organization, 2024) simply lies unattended to and untouched by sovereignty; while forgotten, are those millions whose mouths were clamped by the gelid, cruel hands of society and voices forever buried underneath the mud of societal repute.

The brutal truth is that this world promised women safety and freedom by tying their wrists to the shackles of inhuman norms and rigid boundaries; a step outside which, would lead to lethal consequences. After years of torment and dehumanization, women are at last choosing to break free. Be that as it may, this path to freedom is long and treacherous and the safety of women seeking to traverse this road is becoming a growing concern. Each day the deep-rooted patriarchy of our modern world is corroding away the integrity of women. Innumerable cases of sexual assault and harassment, physical, domestic, emotional and financial violence against women are registered every second throughout the globe. It is imperative that we understand the gravity of our current status and start making amends before our world gets torn with utter degeneration.

In an endeavour to sensitize the youth regarding the same, the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Graphic Era University hosted an event on the 30th of August, 2024 to deliberate on the growing concerns over women's safety and offer their insights and visions regarding the same. PRESENTATION SESSION At 8:30 am., the event was inaugurated with an eye-opening presentation session, themed, ‘Relooking Patriarchy’. 6 groups from varying programes like B.A(Hons.) Psychology, BSc. Biotechnology and so on, actively stepped forward to present their ideas to the gathering through a presentation ranging 10-15 minutes. In the interest of fairness, the chit-pull system was utilised to decide the order of the performing groups and eventually, the pool was narrowed to three groups who were to be evaluated on the criteria of their content and the manner of presenting. This marked the commencement of a highly interactive and informative session. The representative of Group 2 was the first to elaborate her take on the current state of patriarchy and its impact on women, centering her arguments around female suppression, unpaid and underpaid female labour and the growing issues regarding workplace harassment of women.

Next came the spokesperson of Group 8, who shared a unique perspective on the role of media in promoting certain crude aspects of patriarchy, in the distant past as well as our present. Lastly, we had Group 1’s speaker re-tracing the roots of patriarchy, both nationally and internationally, elucidating the concepts of long-prevalent gender stereotyping, evils like sati and dowry, all the while prompting the audience to understand the baselessness of the beliefs on which these practices were founded. Thus, these presentations opened the floodgates to a two-way flow of information and opinions from contrasting vantage points between the audience and the speakers, ending on a note of unbridled hope and optimism. TALK SHOW An Inter-Discipline Talk Show to converse on the theme of ‘Emerging Perspectives on Women Safety’ marked the initiation of the second phase of the event. Disha Bisht and Shivansh compered the entirety of the show’s proceedings. 6 Panels comprising 3 students each from distinct courses --B.A. (Hons.) Political Sc., B.A. Sociology, B.A. (Hons.) Psychology, B.A. (Prog.), B.A. (Hons.) Economics and B.A. (Hons.) English-- participated in the dialogue, each presenting their insights on the current status of women and offering breakthrough solutions to the existing barricades towards women’s safety within an allotted time frame of 5-6 minutes. The event was graced with the esteemed presence of our Head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Prabha Lama as well as our respected faculty members. The discussion was also monitored by our student expert, Akshat from B.A. (Hons.) Political Sc. At 9:40 am, the panellists began to diligently answer the questions posed to them, solidifying their constructs with precedents of sexual and other forms of violence against women like the Nirbhaya Rape Case, as well as the most recent cases of abuse such as the Kolkata Rape Case, utilizing statistical figures, quoting laws and amplifying the need for improvement in the executive and judiciary systems of India.

Following the vigorous discussion, the hosts provided the audience with a fair few strategies of their own for tackling the question of women's safety. Next, the student expert addressed the entire congregation, questioning the panelists, tackling the sensitive issues of communal and caste violence and providing his invaluable knowledge while concluding the talk show. At 10:33 am the session was opened to the entranced audience which enthusiastically raised its suggestions and demanded explanations regarding the aforesaid statements. The ensuing lively discussion was folded by 11:00 am. Head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Prabha Lama, then addressed the gathering congratulating the panelists on their sound communication skills, sharing her critiques and imparting her extensive knowledge regarding women’s safety. The event culminated with a vote of thanks delivered by Shivansh. QUIZ and SLOGAN MAKING COMPETITION After a 10-minute break, a challenging Quiz- ‘Know the Laws, Rules and Guidelines on Women Safety’ and a Slogan Writing Competition on Women's Safety were run parallelly. 16 eager participants participated in the intellectually stimulating quiz. The contestants were provided with printed booklets wherein they had to write their answers and submit their sheets for evaluation within 20 minutes. The quiz succeeded in its aim of pushing the pupils towards re-evaluating the prevailing women’s safety norms and forcing them to think of the need to revitalize the planning and execution in the sector. It fueled the curiosity of all the students who vowed to conduct thorough research regarding the same again. On the other hand, the CSIT building morphed into an artistic haven as 16 young participants unleashed their creativity on canvas. The contestants of the Slogan Making Competition were provided with charts and given 30 minutes to bring their visions to life and help them contribute to the fight for women’s safety. With each brushstroke, as impeccable as the mind behind it, their opinions found expression, quietly raging havoc on the evils prevalent in the diabolical sections of our society. Within no time, the hall was full of invigorating slogans like ‘India’s Daughter in Danger’ and so on, each more thought-provoking and compelling in its own way. The competition ended with every contestant feeling more responsible and accountable for the state of women and pledging to indulge themselves in improving the community by not only being the ideal role models but also by way of fighting against injustice whenever the need arises.

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