It was my annual college festival, Reverie, which was organised at Gargi College, University of Delhi, between 4-6th February.
I was very excited to be a part of the fun. After all, young girls also want to have fun, listen to music, and chill in their college.
On the evening of 6th Feb, Jubin Nautiyal’s concert was ongoing, when all hell broke loose. Men and boys from nearby areas broke the college gate and swarmed the college. They broke barricades, drunk and half-clothed.
I have no idea how so many non-students came inside, but many estimates say, there were almost 5000 such non-bonafide people on my college campus.
Even though thankfully, I was in the barricaded area, and escaped, I was told many girls in the college were molested, sexually harassed, and teased.
There was no mobile service in the college campus, and it was impossible to reach my relatives, with whom I am living, and my parents.
I was finally able to reach my current place of residence by only 10:30 pm.
If the college campus was hell, then a bigger hell waited for me in my local guardian’s place (my relatives); they stopped talking to me.
Even after I tried to get them to understand the situation; I extricated myself from this situation and I told them how scared I was alone, but they refused to see reason.
My eight-year-old cousin said, “Boys can do everything they want, girls can’t”.
What kind of environment are we expected to grow up in? As a girl, am I not entitled to a little freedom for myself?
What kind of thought process has percolated into the minds of educated ones when they make statements like, “Nowadays boys are far better than girls. Girls invite boys deliberately. They intentionally wear short dresses”.
Don’t girls have aspirations, the basic right to study, go to college and have a little fun? Are we progressing or regressing as a society?!
#Betibachao #Gargicollege #DelhiUniversity #Gargicollegefestival