Hindu College’s Sexist Poster Receives Backlash

Hindu college, is known for its vast intellectual and challenging debates, discussions and deliberations. Here, the studious and diligent students are all present with the touch of diversity. The paradigm college exemplified for its premier education and vast exposure has recently been a cause of resentment and outrage.

The dream college has disappointed the freshers during their fresher’s party with the display of a sexist poster to welcome the students.

With the battle between patriarchy and women, the battle of women within patriarchy has been a never-ending saga. Despite disapproval, the socially constructed notions in the society have been persistent for centuries. Albeit with more and more women receiving formal education, these practices and the very system of “Patriarchy” has been challenged. However what’s unfortunate is that a college, like Hindu, has reiterated the ancient mentality in the form of a poster.

Seriously, Hindu College?https://t.co/ynQCu5O9mf

— Zehra Kazmi | زہرا کاظمی (@ArhezImkaz) October 7, 2017

“Hindu mein Maal or maal dono milta hai”, reads the poster. The posters mention how in the Hindu, one can get "maal" drugs and "maal" a pejorative used for describing women. This poster came to light when many freshers had outraged their anger online and Pinjra Tod, posted this picture on their Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pinjratod/posts/1477650948987951

Anahita Sahu, 19, studying journalism from Lady Shri Ram College for Women condemns the act. She feels, “It is shameful to see a college like Hindu choosing to objectify women and then being idiotic enough to brag about it. If the country's youth, the harbingers of change doesn't see women as equals, what hope is left for a just future?”.

The reference to women along with the drugs implies how women are considered as objects of pleasure.

Maal in Hindi means goods. To call women maal means commodification of women and this is in every way derogatory and disparaging.

Simran Chathrath, 19, studying psychology from Amity University draws reference to our unconscious thinking. She says, “Our thoughts are generated in two ways - consciously and unconsciously. This poster is a manifestation of our unconscious thinking which is all the more troublesome. If we have been unconsciously conditioned to think like this, then there is a whole lot of work to be done to solve this issue. Though this poster looks as if it was done to bring about a fun factor into it, these days such things are not taken as a joke but rather questioned which is beautiful and also important as such small things actually bring about a change”.

Albert Einstein said "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think".  This has been used in a positive way in this situation. Here, the freshers rather than being passive audiences, thought about the poster and questioned it. This very way of rational thinking is commendable in one way as it displays the awareness and boldness among students. It is also worth mentioning that this criticism was well taken by the student body who didn’t step behind to accept their mistake. It further shows that the students understand the entire issue and have affirmed to ensure that such misogynistic depictions are never seen around college in the future.

Also Read: BHU Incident: Her fault? She was out at 6 pm in the evening

Reshma Ganeshbabu is an intern with SheThePeople.TV. The views expressed in this column are author’s own.