Ghazanfar Abbas, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Oct 28: Agitating against the decision of Jawaharlal Nehru University to dissolve GSCASH (Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment) and replace it with Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), the students union of the university has urged the University Grants Commission (UGC) to intervene in the matter.
Holding a protest march on Friday outside the UGC office in New Delhi, they demanded reinstatement of an effective and gender sensitive body like GSCASH that is not controlled by the varsity administration and entrusted with the task of delivering justice in cases of sexual harassment and gender based violence in campus. A delegation of the JNU Students Union submitted a memorandum with the UGC officials in this regard.
“It is important to notice that GSCASH is autonomous. If the Vice Chancellor is controlling the ICC, how would we trust that something concrete will happen if a case is filed against any powerful person? That is one major contestation. So whether it is GSCASH or ICC it should not be controlled by the varsity,” Geeta Kumari, newly elected president of JNUSU, told IndiaTomorrow.net.
“In the body, there should be people from gender background either they are from gender academicians or belonging to gender movements, but that is not the case with ICC,” she added.
Condemning the varsity’s move as an ‘attack on autonomous character and democratic composition of GSCASH’, JNUSU said that ICC can’t be trusted by the students as it is controlled by the admin whereas GSCASH is an autonomous body.
“We want that UGC should intervene as its guidelines are being violated by the varsity and that GSCASH should continue as this body was already there. It is misinterpretation of UGC notification to dismantle GSCASH by the admin,” Kumari demanded.
GSCASH and ICC
GSCASH was constituted by JNU in 1999 following the recommendations of the Working Group on Sexual Harassment in 1997. The Rules and Procedures of the Committee were approved by the JNU Executive Council in 2001.
In its 269th Executive Council meeting held on September 18 this year, the university admin had ordered to dissolve GSCASH and replace it with ICC whose members are selected by the administration.
JNU Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) is also against this move of the varsity. A section of teachers and students has challenged administration’s decision in the Delhi High Court. In its last hearing on 22nd September, the court had ordered that the GSCASH office will remain sealed until the next date of the hearing which is October 30.
