The charm of Holi has faded even before the festival for Panjab University girls residing in hostels. A diktat akin to those of the infamous Khap Panchayats of Haryana has been passed which will confine the girls in their hostels from 8 am to 5 pm on Holi day.
“We are not allowed to participate in the festival of colours. The PU authorities close the girls’ hostel gates on special occasions like Holi and Valentine’s Day,” said Divya Kapoor of hostel number three. For Divya, the festival of color is all about sitting in the hostel room and watching the boys having fun through her hostel window.
Reminiscent of medieval times, the authorities will simply lock the main gates of the hostel, making it resemble like a jail on the day of colours. The forcible confinement, authorities claim, is to safeguard the girl students from hooligans roaming the streets.
“Even an inmate in prison gets his share of sweet meats on Holi. But here in PU, the mess will close down at 9:30 am and girls will not be allowed to go out, leave alone distribute sweets,” says Jasmeet Kaur, a first year MA student.
“The PU authorities limit our freedom within the hostel premises and boys are left to do what they want. This exposes the double face of the feudal PU authorities and the sexual discrimination meted out to hostel inmates,” adds Kaur.
None of the PU authorities spoke on the issue on record. But from their remarks, it was clear that they had done it only to escape responsibility.
Sachinderpal Singh, general secretary, SFS joined the girls in their protest against this rule, reminiscent of the middle ages and countries like Afghanistan during the Taliban regime. He said “if the PU authorities cannot give security to girls, they have no right to retain their position. The role of educational institutes is to show the progressive path to students, but not here in PU.”
“PU authorities believe that giving freedom to girls may expose them to harassment by male hostel residents of the university. In showing their concern for security, the PU authorities are being the archetypal patriarch and are curtailing the freedom of girls by passing such bizarre rules,” adds the general secretary.
After facing protest from residents of the girls’ hostel, PU authorities quickly devised a way out which says that any girl willing to play Holi can do so on her own risk. The University shall not be responsible for any untoward incident. In a nutshell, the PU is only liable to their boys and girls may stay confined to be safe.
A hosteller, on condition on anonymity, said that last year she was not even allowed to meet her parents as they came during the time of forced confinement. “My parents had to wait till the evening when the hostel gates were opened at 5 pm and thereafter I was allowed to meet them,” she added.
While most of students of the City Beautiful are gearing up for the festival by buying white clothes which are in vogue this season and tearing up their old faded blue denims, the girls are busy buying chips and other tit-bits to celebrate Holi in their hostel rooms under forcible confinement.