Why the BHU VC pitched sexual assault convict for a job

A student was molested on the campus of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), a leading institution of higher learning in the country. Varsity authorities refused to take her complaint seriously. When her college mates began a protest and sought to meet BHU vice-chancellor GC Tripathi, he refused to entertain their concerns. Police was then called into the campus, and the women students cane-charged. Even as outrage erupted across the country over the mishandling of the crisis, Tripathi remained remarkably unfazed, telling the national media he "could not be expected to listen to each and every girl".

And, even as BHU is on the boil, Tripathi has used an executive council meeting of the varsity, held as recently as September 26, to push for the appointment of a man convicted for sexual harassment in Fiji.

The events beg the question as to why a university would be courting such a public image disaster, apart from dealing a blow to women's fight for equality across India. However, the BHU authorities' conduct — seen in the light of a recent report that says most cases of sexual harassment on campus were reported at Uttar Pradesh's universities — points to a more uncomfortable truth: for many Indians, the idea of women in public spaces is still difficult to digest.

From making light of campus molestation to encouraging the tenure of a sexual harassment convict (not even accused), the vice-chancellor's conduct has been as appalling, but not uncommon.

The BHU VC has also come up with a number of cringe-worthy statements as the BHU controversy has raged on — that girls and boys need different levels of security, that the protesting women are those "who stay out after 8pm", and that students' parents agree with the university's gender-biased rules, including different curfew timings for men and women, banning women from eating non-vegetarian food, or using their phones after 10pm.

While a lot of blame for the BHU row rests with Tripathi — many of these rules were tightened under his watch — unfortunately, to an extent, he is right when he says that the larger population agrees with the need to policewomen.

Tripathi would probably have been more circumspect about his conduct had he believed that more people — beyond the "liberals" his kind despises — would condemn him.

However, for many Indians, the responsibility of women's security still lies with women, and the surest way to prevent sexual attacks is the removal of "temptations" for men. A woman out late, dressed "immodestly" or drunk, is doing so at her own risk, and has less of a right to demand redress if attacked. As the RSS ideology, known to be discriminatory towards women, gains more and more currency in the country, the going gets worse for women.

When leading figures in the ruling party routinely make regressive statements, an ordinary citizen harbouring such sentiments is emboldened to express and practise them.

Liberalisation — both economic and social — has come to India slowly, and not uniformly. While more parents are now willing to let their daughters study and work, many would still want women to stick to an older social code — partake of the fruits of liberalisation while staying "modest" and inconspicuous.

For long, India's response to sexual violence has been to prevent manifestations, not address root causes. But no matter how many curfews are introduced, areas demarcated, dress codes brought in, women will not be safe till society, both men and women, continue to believe that their appearance in public spaces — be it studying, working, driving or walking out — is an exception to the norm, an affront to traditional male authority.

The BHU incident is especially worrying as this sexist mentality is in action at a leading university, which has the responsibility of shaping the thought process of lakhs of youngsters.

The BHU survivor has the right to be out on the road without having her "motives" being probed. A woman in a public space is neither a temptation nor challenge. Women are attacked not because their clothes are provocative, but because men have been taught that their impulses are more important than a woman's right to life. A few criminals are not the threat to women, a society that condones and conforms to criminal mentality is.

Also read: Why BHU VC Girish Tripathi, RSS man with links to Modi, is being blamed for crackdown