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ABVP rebels to burn Manusmriti copy on Women’s Day
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad rebels who left the student outfit citing differences over its handling of the JNU row plan to burn a copy of the ancient legal text Manusmriti on International Women’s Day
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad rebels who left the student outfit citing differences over its handling of the JNU row plan to burn a copy of the ancient legal text Manusmriti on International Women’s Day.
Two of the three who students quit the student party and present vice-president of ABVP JNU unit Jatin Goraiya alleged the document was anti-women and anti-Dalit.
Former joint secretary of ABVP JNU unit Pradeep Narwal said they would burn the copy to convey that any system that advocates discrimination should be shunned.
“Burning of Manusmriti will symbolise the burning of a history of exploitation. It has text which legitimised gender and caste discrimination and text which speaks derogatory of women,” said Narwal.
He said BR Ambedkar also burned a copy of Manusmriti. “There is no space for such a regressive ideology in a democratic country. We have support of some other students also,” he said.
Goraiya said, “We have discussed previously in the party also but there was no response. We will burn Manusmriti on Tuesday.”
Students from Left parties said they will join the event in solidarity.
Narwal, president of School of Social Sciences (SSS) unit Rahul Yadav and secretary of the unit Ankit Hans dissociated themselves from the ABVP amid the JNU row. However, the ABVP said they had not officially resigned.
“We have a feeling that they are under pressure from some teachers,” said Saurabh Sharma, JNUSU joint secretary and the only ABVP member in the union.
