Abdullah Hall. Women’s College. A mere reference to these words is enough to set alight any dhaba discussion or hostel gup-shup in our University and immediately polarise the participants. Anyone taking a supposedly “pro-women” stance is immediately labelled anti-Islamic, ‘communist’, 'deheria' and the like. Anyone taking a “pro-tehzeeb” stand is immediately labelled anti-women, ‘conservative’, daqiya-nusi and their ilk.
The only agreement that seems to exist is over the fact that there is some problem in the Women’s College, requiring some sort of a solution. The disagreement exists over everything else, be it the problems or the solutions to those contested problems.
A recent example would be the controversy over the separation of Women’s College Union. The announcement was followed by an immediate polarisation and the taking up of directly opposing stands (including a lot of needless, undignified mud-slinging and character assassination). Without getting into the controversy, the whole incident provides an excellent case in which to discern the real bone of contention between these two opposing views.
The real difference is between those who advocate greater integration of the Women’s College with the University and those who believe that segregation is the only proper way. The ‘integrationists’ brandish greater inter-mixing as a panacea of all evils, without regard to the fact that the structural problems with regard to females and acute chauvinism exist in campuses all over India, most of which definitely have no segregation between boys and girls. The ‘segregationists’ place all their faith in culture and traditions, and view the problems as indicative of a perceived fall in the practice of those traditions, without realising that changing times have also brought new and evolved problems.
From these two directly opposing positions flows a whole spectrum of opinions, contentions and controversies in which simple administrative issues become ideological war-points and humble opinions are exaggerated to look like undercurrents of some grand ideology. On every little issue, it is always now or never for both sides, you are either “with them OR against them.”
Take for example the issue of access to Maulana Azad library which raked up a huge storm last year. The problem was truly glaring, that students of Women’s College do not have access to the great collection of books and materials available to the University at large.
There was a suggestion to open up the library for students from Women’s College and allow girls from Abdullah to visit the library during the day time. This raised such a hue and cry that there could be no other discussion on the campus for quite a few days. The positions taken and the arguments made often diverted far from the real issue, and towards abstract, irrational Grand Theories. The limit was when the Principal of Women’s College went on to state on record to a national daily ( The Hindu) that girls do not need books to study!
The solution which was then implemented was the very name of simplicity itself. It was decided that there would be a sharing of books between the Women’s College and the main Library, and girls will be allowed to access the Maulana Azad Library from the Women’s College itself. This placed the problem in its exact context: that of an administrative issue.
This is the reality of the general discourse over Women’s College. The problems are real and very current. They relate mostly to the fact that the Women’s College lags behind in facilities and services for students as well as teachers in almost every aspect when compared to the rest of the University. There is also a great underutilisation of resources (and if most of the stories are to be believed, a lot of misappropriation as well), and other issues of exploitation and a real lack of any proper grooming whatsoever for the students residing in Abdullah Hall.
These issues are mostly administrative in nature, and it will not be any herculean task to sort them out. However, the status-quo-ist forces, especially within the Administration, who profit from the existing mismanagement and systematic apathy, find it much easier to play off competing ideologies instead of discussing genuine solutions.
The turning of every little issue into an ideological war between good and evil, the constant mud-slinging and labelling of opponents as “anti-progressive”, or conversely, “anti-Islamic”, distracts from the main problems and only results in futile polarisation.
Unless these myopic and – sorry to say – bigoted attitudes are thrown off and genuine issues taken into consideration with some modicum of sincerity, the needs of Abdullah Hall and Women’s College will remain unaddressed.
- By Fawaz Shaheen
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