The controversy surrounding “Love Jihad” has now reached Delhi University’s North Campus. The All India Students’ Association has accused the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which controls the students’ union and is also the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of trying to carry a campaign against it.
“In the name of ‘women’s safety’, the ABVP is openly proposing to form vigilante groups, which will crack down on consensual relations between adults. This sort of policing and criminalising is unacceptable,” alleged Sunny Kumar, AISA Delhi secretary. He was referring to a “human chain” formed by the ABVP on Tuesday for promoting awareness about women’s issues as well as security and safety on campus.
The ABVP, however, said that such accusations were politically motivated and that even though they did have views on “Love Jihad” their campaign had nothing to do with it.
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“We had around 30 to 40 points in our agenda to work for women’s rights and this term was simply mentioned here for awareness sake only, it is very limited,” said ABVP State secretary Saket Bahuguna.
“This term was coined by the Kerala High Court. There were cases in which Muslim boys concealed their identity and married Hindu girls who were later forced to convert to Islam. This issue is raging in places like Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. Along with other issues concerning women’s safety, this is also of concern. For example, if a woman is chatting up with someone on the internet, she should be aware that there is something like this happening so that she can protect herself,” he said, adding that they were not forming any groups or trying to threaten any couples on campus.
“We have nothing against consensual relationships that are based on love and inter-religious marriages. India is a democracy,” said Saket.
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Noting that ABVP had organised similar chains in 4,000 places across the country, Saket said: “We wish to make young boys and girl students aware so that they also raise awareness in their peer groups, families and neighbourhoods and can actually bring in a change. We also demand that the DU administration activate women development cells in colleges. It should also take proactive steps to ensure a safe and secure campus for girl students.”
The AISA, however, said that they were not taking any chances and they will organise a series of programmes so that the ABVP is not able to make an issue out of a non-existent thing like “Love Jihad”.
“We are having a series of public meetings, we will be going from classroom to classroom and talking to students about this “non-issue”. We are also printing more than one lakh pamphlets which we intend to distribute. After a 10-day-long campaign in different parts of the city, we will culminate it with a convention in central Delhi,” said Sunny.