DUSU supports AISA's freedom to love, says freedom has limits

The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) on Monday expressed support for All India Students' Association's (AISA) 'Love Without Fear' campaign to promote the freedom to love, but said that freedom has its limits.

AISA on Valentine's Day eve organised a campaign, "Love Without Fear" at Delhi University's Faculty of Arts to promote freedom to love and raised the issue of attack on women's autonomy in and outside campus spaces.

"The meeting is an attempt to address various structures and institutionalised surveillance that is imposed on women through CCTV cameras, 7 p.m. deadlines, rule books in hostels and PGs. There is also an attempt to control our thought process," DU President of AISA Kawalpreet Kaur told IANS.

She highlighted various patriarchal values that women in and outside campus have to struggle with, in their everyday life and demanded freedom from all the restrictions.

"We are told what to wear, what to do, where to go. To move out of the hostel, we have to get your parents and local guardian to send faxes," Kawalpreet Kaur said.

"It is a woman's right to decide who she wants to talk to, who she doesn't want to talk to, who she wants to hold hands with, who she wants to get married to, etc etc. We are celebrating our prerogative to say yes or no," she added.

Last year, right wing groups had warned youth against celebrating Valentine's Day saying it was against Indian culture. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) conducted awareness camps in colleges to enlighten the youth against Valentine's Day.

According to Kawalpreet Kaur, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has always had an anti-women approach.

"If a woman falls in love with somebody from a different religion, they name it Love Jihad. We are here to fight against honour killing. This campaign is not just against the right wing but also against the rigid structures in campus," she said.

"We reject such rules. We reject Amit Shah's idea to have an anti-Romeo squads," she added.

"Every year, at this time of the year, the right wing makes announcements - 'if any Hindu couple is seen together on Valentine's Day, we will get them married'. This year also Hindu Mahasabha gave a similar statement."

DUSU President Amit Tanwar refused to comment on Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha's statement and said that if anybody has to deal with any kind of hooliganism on Valentine's Day, the union will take care of it.

"What Mahasabha said is their opinion. All the 365 days of the year are the days of love and not just February 14. Everybody has the freedom to love but freedom also has its limit," Tanwar told IANS.

"We support love. If couples do anything obnoxious in public places, we won't support that. We are completely against any vulgarity in the public," he said.

--IANS

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