Scores of students on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Union Women and Child Development Ministry against a statement by Union Minister Maneka Gandhi advocating early hostel curfew to protect girls from “hormonal outburst”.
Demand apology
Demanding an apology from Ms. Gandhi, students from universities across the city shouted slogans such as “hormonal outburst hokey rahega ” and “ Lakshman Rekha ki Sarkar, Nahi Chalegi Abki Baar ”.
Ms. Gandhi had earlier this week, during a TV interview, equated hostel curfews with “ lakshman rekha ”. “When you are 16 or 17, you are also hormonally very challenged. So to protect you from your own hormonal outbursts, perhaps a lakshman rekha is drawn. It really is for your own safety,” she had said.
“We’ve been struggling against hostel curfew hours for the last two years. Such a patriarchal statement by the Minister is completely atrocious and unacceptable,” said Devangana Kalita of Pinjra Tod
