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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Indian Express
Balasore girl wasn't afraid of demanding accountability. Her death shows how society continues to fail women
She skips ahead of her friend near India Gate in Delhi, her infectious energy captured on a video that is now viral on social media. 'She is our power girl,' the friend wielding the camera can be heard saying. The girl turns to the camera and repeats: 'Power girl'. On July 12, the 20-year-old second-year Integrated student at the Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College in Balasore set herself on fire, succumbing to her injuries nearly 60 hours later in hospital. For about six months, the young woman in the video had been allegedly harassed by her professor. Since her death, social media has been flooded with videos of her — not just news reports about the self-immolation and harassment accusations, but also the reels and vlogs that she herself had shared. Of these, the one about her day out at India Gate stands out, capturing not just her spirit, but also the dreams that perhaps propelled her from Palasia village in Balasore district's Bhograi block to Fakir Mohan College. The most common sentiment expressed in the comments now being posted under the young woman's videos is disbelief — how, people ask, could a cheerful, spirited young woman take such a drastic step? A fuller picture emerges only when one watches other videos, news clips of her giving interviews to the media, her voice quivering but composed. In these clips, she speaks out against the assistant professor, also the head of the department (HOD), accusing him of asking for a 'favour', harassing her for months, and ultimately barring her from appearing for her fourth-semester examination. 'The reason I am speaking to the media now is because I want justice,' she says in one of the videos. She has left behind a deep sense of shock — not only over how her life ended, but that her many appeals to the college principal, police, local authorities and others appear to have gone unheard. Stories and theories about the nature of her harassment, and the 'suspicious' circumstances of her death have acquired a life of their own. Then, there are the videos which show why, even today, 12 years after the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act was passed, women like her, who find the courage to speak up against sexual harassment, continue to battle misunderstanding and hostility regarding their predicament. In another news clip that has been circulating, another assistant professor of English, and a member of the internal complaints committee (ICC) that looked into the student's complaint, tells reporters that although the HOD had apparently asked for 'favours, he did not cause her any harm'. She says, 'if she did not like what the HOD said, why did not she discuss it with him'. The HOD that the woman is referring to is the same authority figure who allegedly instigated other students to complain against her 'netagiri (activism)'. In its report, the ICC found the HOD to be merely 'rude' with students. Six years after the fire lit by the #MeToo movement, sexual harassment remains misunderstood and women who complain of it continue to be silenced. It is seen as an unavoidable reality of life that must be endured. Growing up in Balasore and other towns of Odisha, it seemed to me that the only way a girl could survive was by developing a teflon coating around the mind. We were accustomed to shrugging off unwanted and lewd comments and hands that reached out to touch us as we walked through narrow lanes on our way to college. Was there, perhaps, a yearning to be invisible, as they crossed a crowded town square or passed by a group of men ogling at them? They — we — didn't need lectures that normalised or excused the loathsome behaviour of men. Social conditioning was enough. From what I've read about her, this young woman appears to have done better than many girls of my time. She wasn't afraid to be heard and seen, and in speaking of her ordeal showed the kind of courage that few 20-year-olds can and do. Her father, in interviews, has spoken about her aspiration to become either a social activist or a teacher. That vision was rooted not just in ambition but also in confidence — perhaps bolstered by her active involvement with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), where she served as a coordinator of the Rastriya Kala Manch. The student was also a designated self-defence instructor, empowering college girls like herself. On July 15, the state government announced compensation for her family. The cheque was handed, four days later, to her family by Balasore MP Pratap Sarangi — there were cameras present to capture that moment too. His office, incidentally, was one of the several places she had approached for justice. This promptness from the authorities, so evident after her death, may have saved her life if only it had come earlier.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Hold back salaries in colleges that don't file Internal Complaint Committee reports: Cuttack collector
Bhubaneswar: Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde has ordered over 100 colleges in the district to suspend disbursement of salaries to their employees for failure to submit reports of the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) set up under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act. Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde said principal who fail to submit ICC reports in the next 24 to 48 hours wpuld face suspension along with the withholding of staff salaries (X/CuttackDM) Shinde said the head of institutions that haven't complied with the mandate would be placed under suspension. No college will be allowed to delay compliance, especially in matters involving women's dignity and grievance redressal, he said Only some of the district's 210 institutions have complied with the directive. A July 21 notification stated that the salaries of the institution's staff would remain suspended until full compliance is ensured. 'Appropriate action may be taken against the heads of defaulting institutions by withholding the salary of the entire establishment of the defaulting offices,' the order said. It also threatened suspension of the principals in case of non-compliance. 'I don't have the exact number, but many colleges have not submitted their reports. If they fail to do so in the next 24 to 48 hours, they may also face suspension along with the withholding of their salaries,' said Shinde. Following the suicide of a 20-year-old woman at Fakir Mohan College in Balasore last week to protest official apathy over her complaints against a professor, the Odisha government directed all colleges and universities in Odisha to form Internal Complaints Committees within 24 hours, as mandated under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. There are over 700 government-run and aided colleges and 17 public universities in the state. They were also instructed to publicly display the names and contact details of ICC members for awareness. The state higher education department has also ordered universities and colleges to organise sensitisation workshops on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, and the UGC Regulations, 2015, for both staff and students to enhance awareness and prevent such incidents. The government also launched the Shaktishree Programme to ensure the safety of girl students in higher education institutions, under which permanent 'Shaktishree Empowerment Cells' would be set up in every college and university, managed by a woman student (Shaktishree Saathi) and a woman faculty member with five working women as mentors visiting every three months. A Shaktishree mobile app will be launched to allow students to report complaints via text, audio, or video directly to the ICC chairperson, with an option to escalate unresolved issues to a local committee. A code of conduct for teachers and non-teaching staff, requiring annual online training on women's safety, gender sensitivity, and professional ethics, is also being planned.
The Hindu
20-07-2025
- The Hindu
Gender Agenda Newsletter Just tired
Just tired When we first decided to co-author the newsletter, Sunalini, Radhika, and I, feminists from different age groups, geographies, and socio-economic locations, decided that gender-based violence could not be the focus of Gender Agenda. That way, we would be subscribing to the general notion of what is perceived as 'gender-related news', often tilted towards reportage on heinous crimes against women and gender minorities. Taking that route would defeat several facets of our personhood — the politics surrounding our bodies, access, and autonomy. Yet, this week, the deaths of two young women in the country, prove repeatedly that gender-based violence — familial and institutional — is a reality for us. Earlier this week, tennis player Radhika Yadhav, was shot dead by her father Deepak Yadav, in Gurugram. He fired five bullets at the 25-year-old who was cooking in the kitchen. The police claim that Deepak was jeered at by fellow villagers for allegedly living off his daughter. They taunted him for having raised a daughter who wore make-up and created content on Instagram. Here, her father's honour was linked to Radhika's behaviour. Four days later, in Odisha, a 20-year-old student set herself ablaze on the premises of the Fakir Mohan College against the college's alleged inaction on her formal complaint of sexual harassment by the Head of the Department of Teacher Education, Samira Kumar Sahu. Going by what the principal said, the student faced rustication after bringing up the harassment complaint. 'Whether she meant to take her life or not is difficult to say, but it will be entered into the records as death by suicide,' wrote reporter Satyasundar Barik. Here, the student's voice felt unheard. Another report put together by the data team of The Hindu that accessed numbers from the National Crime Records Bureau, said that a string of dowry-related deaths had been reported from across the country in 2022. Of the 7,000 dowry deaths reported every year on average, only around 4,500 were charge-sheeted by the police. This is, of course, only reported crimes. Rithanya, 27, from Thiruppur, died of suicide due to harassment by her husband and in-laws last month. A chilling video that circulated online showcased Rithanya's father who praised his daughter for being committed to her husband even in her death. Rithanya did not just endure torture from her in-laws, but also saw her parents washing their hands of her. When families and institutions that are meant to form a circle of protection around us fail, where do we go? Do we rant, write open letters, beg for mercy, endure every inappropriate touch, and become torchbearers of patriarchy ourselves? I am tired of ex-gratia amounts, condolence tweets, opposition party protests, and candlelight marches. Wordsworth Gendered travel People across genders perceive travel differently, often influenced by social and cultural factors. This leads to varied patterns in trip frequency, distance, mode, and even the perceived safety of travel environments. Recently, Ladies Compartment, a group exhibition by Method (India), now on view at Galerie Melike Bilir in Hamburg, Germany, displayed the artworks of six women, some of whom showed the quiet solidarities of the ladies' compartment in Mumbai's local trains. Toolkit A report released by market research firm Kantar states that Indian advertisements continue to perpetuate traditional beliefs about masculinity. Several outdated norms persist more strongly in the media than they do in men's own beliefs, the report reads. Men said that 35% of ads perpetuated the belief that real men don't cry, 27% of them perpetuated the fear that men do not voice their fears, and 24% felt that sharing problems with women reduces status. Ouch! A child is not equal to the woman; a woman is not equal to the man. A man is not equal to the elderly person in the family. We all have different roles, and we are all different.' Kangana Ranaut, Hindi cinema actor and MP Women we meet Fifty-one-year-old Safira Altaf can move a barbell that has a load of 65 kilograms with relative ease. She began weight training three years ago and says that the experience has been incredibly freeing for her as she is confident about taking care of herself when she is old. 'Once, many years ago, a doctor told me women should not lift heavy weights. I blindly followed him. How foolish I was. After years of ignoring my body, I have now begun lifting weights again. I am incredibly strong,' she says. Safira suggests women ignore their partners and children for five hours a week to focus on themselves. 'It is imperative to lift. It helps prevent lifestyle diseases. Mental health too,' she says.
NDTV
18-07-2025
- NDTV
Odisha College Horror Victim's Friend Reveals Months Of Abuse, Harassment
Bhubaneswar: The 20-year-old student in Odisha who set herself on fire, alleging sexual harassment by her college professor, had confided in her friends about what she was going through months before her death. According to a friend of the victim, who spoke to NDTV, the Fakir Mohan College student had been experiencing mental and academic harassment by her Head of Department, Samir Kumar Sahu, for several months. "A few months ago, she confided in me that she was being harassed by her HoD. She revealed that the HOD was deliberately failing her and refusing to clear her backlogs. At that time, she did not want me or anyone else to intervene. However, on June 30th, she gathered us to confront the principal and demand serious action against the HoD, as she was being harassed in class. She told us that the HoD had misbehaved with her in front of others and had blackmailed her, threatening to trap her in this situation at the college for six long years," the friend told NDTV. According to the friend, on June 30, the student, who was in her second year of the integrated course, attempted to mobilise support among her classmates. She wanted a group of them to jointly approach the college principal and demand action against the HoD. The students approached Fakir Mohan College principal Dilip Ghose that day. "The principal said decision-making is a process and asked for more time," the friend said. Twelve days later, the situation escalated. The student again wanted to approach the principal to push for a resolution. However, the campus was crowded due to ongoing admissions. During a 20-minute lunch break, she was left briefly alone. "During lunchtime, we left the campus for about 20 minutes, and in that short time, we received a call informing us that she had been provoked to undergo an 'Agni Pariksha'. I use this term because I believe the principal must have said something that deeply hurt her, pushing her to take such a drastic step. She was completely broken, drained, and exhausted from fighting for justice," the friend told NDTV. The student poured petrol on herself and set herself ablaze outside the principal's office. A fellow student, Jyotiranjan Biswal, attempted to rescue her and suffered 15 per cent burn injuries. The victim, however, sustained 95 per cent burns and died on July 14 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar. According to the friend's account, after the initial complaint against Sahu, the HoD allegedly mobilised the support of nearly 300 students to defend himself, while only 15-20 students stood by the victim. "The HoD manipulated around 300 students to support him. He persuaded nearly 100 students to turn against her. As an active member of the ABVP, she was used as a political tool before the upcoming elections. These students assassinated her character, writing an application to the principal that questioned her integrity and raised accusations against her. Ironically, the same opposition now speaks of justice," the friend told NDTV. Two college officials -- HoD Samir Kumar Sahu and principal Dilip Ghose -- have been arrested on charges including abetment to suicide, sexual harassment, stalking, and outraging the modesty of a woman. Separately, the state government has formed a three-member inquiry panel to probe the case.
News18
17-07-2025
- Politics
- News18
Odisha Bandh Over Student's Death: Shops Closed, Traffic Hit On Chennai-Kolkata Highway
Last Updated: The bandh was called after a 20-year-old student of Fakir Mohan College in Balasore allegedly set herself on fire on campus. Odisha Bandh Today: Security has been heightened in Odisha, with security personnel being deployed in the capital, Bhubaneswar, as several Opposition parties called for 'Odisha bandh'. The 'bandh' has been called against the state government over the death of a student of Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College by self-immolation. Shops remain shut, and traffic is disrupted in several areas, including Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. In Bhadrak, markets were closed and public transport was affected due to the Odisha bandh. The Chennai-Kolkata Highway witnessed long traffic jams, with trucks and other vehicles being stuck and left stranded due to the closure. Besides trucks, bus operations in many regions of the state also remain affected. The bandh was led by the Congress party, along with other opposition groups, including the All India Forward Bloc. They held the state government responsible for ignoring the student's repeated pleas for help. BJD Holds Protest Earlier on Wednesday, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) had also taken to the streets and called for a 'Balasore Bandh' in protest against the Odisha government. BJD chief and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik slammed the state government for using force against BJD workers who were protesting in connection with the case. An Odisha Bandh was called by eight opposition parties on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of the State Higher Education Minister and a judicial investigation into the matter. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
