Latest news with #FakirMohanCollege
The Hindu
3 days ago
- 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
5 days ago
- 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
6 days ago
- 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.
News18
15-07-2025
- News18
Odisha Student Suicide: Principal Ignored Internal Committee's Sexual Harassment Report
Fakir Mohan College Principal Dillip Ghose is accused of having deliberately ignored the Internal Committee report based on a 22-year-old student's complaint of sexual harassment. Odisha Student Suicide: In a new twist in the case of an Odisha student, who died after self-immolating due to a lack of action on her sexual harassment complaint, it has now been revealed that the principal of her college had ignored a report which warned of inappropriate behaviour by the Head of Department (HoD). The 22-year-old student from Balasore, who studied at Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College, attempted self-immolation over inaction by the college administration on her sexual harassment complaint against the head of her department. She was admitted to AIIMS Delhi after being referred from the Balasore District Headquarters, but succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday. The principal of the college, Dillip Ghose, was arrested on Monday in connection with the case. According to reports, Ghose deliberately ignored a report by the college's Internal Complaint Committee (ICC), which conducted an inquiry after the student's complaint and found that the conduct of the HOD, Sameer Sahoo, was inappropriate. The committee had recommended Sahoo's immediate removal from the HoD position, suggesting that such action could have prevented the tragic outcome. The report was submitted to Ghose, but no action was taken. Instead, the principal allegedly tried to shield the accused and even attempted to reinstate him. would be forced to die by suicide if the college failed to respond to her plea for justice. Despite the gravity of the allegation and the student's desperate warning, no action was reportedly taken against the accused, and the student set herself on fire outside the principal's office. The inaction by college authorities raised serious questions on the principal's role in the case, as he allegedly influenced the investigation in favour of the accused. ICC member Minati Siri said that the victim would have been satisfied had proper action been taken. Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the family of the college student and directed officers concerned to conduct a proper investigation into the incident. view comments First Published: July 15, 2025, 22:05 IST 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.
