Pinjra Tod is a women’s collective which was initiated in 2015 to fight against restrictive curfew timings for women in college hostels. Over time, the movement gathered momentum and came to include more ideas and perspectives, from the issues of accommodation to fighting the general atmosphere of patriarchy in the campuses. But, every social movement acquires its own set of issues on the way, and Pinjra Tod is no exception.
On February 18, 2019, Live Wire reported the release of a statement by 9 ex-members of the popular women’s movement. The statement comes as an explanation for the members’ decision to quit the organisation, and in doing so it brings to light the multi-layered problems of race, caste, religion, etc. that lead to anxiety and unease among members, prompting them to quit the movement, although no figures were explicitly reported apart from these 9 undersigned.
Although all signatories are from Lady Shri Ram College and Jamia Milia Islamia – institutes which take centre stage in a harsh criticism of the movement – the statement claims that the problems concerns all students belonging to marginalised groups within the collective.
The statement accuses Pinjra Tod of being an exclusionary organisation, run and controlled by their oppressors, “the upper caste Hindu women” who use the labour of the women belonging to marginalised groups and include them only for performative purposes, side-lining them when it comes to actual decision making.
Religious Hypocrisy
The statement alleges that the organisation is Islamophobic and takes tactical double standards when it comes to the question of religion.
“[O]n one hand, members are seen attending Hindu festivals in Rakhi, Diwali etc, where the deification of the Hindu upper caste woman is celebrated, while at the other end, the same deification is vehemently rejected by their slogan “Hum Bharat ki Mata Nahi Banenge,”” it states.
It also relays the idea that marginalised groups are deeply integrated with their ethnic identities and drive strength from it, and so for them it is difficult to “[S]hrug off” religion “in order to attain “freedom.””
According to the statement, Pinjra Tod only includes the marginalised to show inclusiveness and diversity while there are hardly any women from marginalised groups, apart from a few exceptions, in the core committee.
Saviour Complex: Doing More Harm Than Good
The other issue that was raised was the way in which the upper caste women in Pinjra Tod try to “organise” and “politicise” the women of marginalised groups.
“The new page ‘Jamia Women Fight’ on Facebook is also mainly operated by women from outside Jamia under the guise of being exclusively by the university students,” the statement said, expressing the unease of the members over the patronizing and controlling attitude of Pinjra Tod.
Also troubling was the lack of appropriate action from the leaders, when concerns were raised against such attitudes, save for apologies, which were not followed up by any solution.
Our Voices Go Unheard
Another issue that was raised was how the voices and opinions of women of marginalised groups either go unheard or do not get the same consideration as that of the upper caste Hindu women. This also throws light upon the hegemony of the few Hindu women who lead and run the organisation, and how there is not enough space to put forth diverse opinions.
One major example made this difference apparent. Some wanted reservation for students of the OBC community in hostels, and to do away with the merit based system of allocation of seats in the college accommodation. But, there was no consensus for the demand among other members of the group.
“And we know in full confidence that if the demand for OBC reservation had been the central issue of the 2018 protest or to do away with the admission procedure based on merit, then only a handful (that too doubtful) would have turned up for the “militant” protest held outside the LSR gates.”
The statement alleges, pointing how the interests of marginalised sections are not brought to the forefront. The issue of discrimination and problems that the women of marginalised groups face at the hands of the upper caste women in their hostels and colleges was also raised several times but did not get any voice from the movement at large.
“If Pinjra Tod was a movement led by women from oppressed communities or even a movement for social justice in its true sense, then wouldn’t this come first in their agenda?” they asked.
Finally, the tension that Pinjra Tod is experiencing draws our attention to a very interesting aspect in the trends of Indian social movements and pressure groups. The fact is that India has an added layer of hierarchical distinction (read the caste system) – along with regional, lingual, religious and racial differences becomes a hindrance when it comes to mobilising people for a cause.
Even when the goal is common, the rift and tension caused by conflicting interest often manages to overwhelm the uniting force of a common goal.
If one looks at it from another perspective, it is not the “bringing people of diverse groups together for a common cause” that leads to problems. When viewpoints clash even under an umbrella goal, the fight over whose interest be prioritised takes precedence. This is where toxic hierarchical distinctions in India puncture solidarity.
In a situation like this, conflicting ideologies and problems arising from them are inevitable. For any collective to be successful in India what is needed is proper accommodation of overlapping ideas, a space for each of them to grow and express.
Featured image source: Pinjra Tod/Facebook.
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