After the apex court, on 27 November, ordered Hadiya to go back to her college in Salem, Tamil Nadu to continue her studies under the protection of her college dean, Pinjra Tod, an autonomous collective of women students in Delhi issued a strong worded statement condemning the decision and pin-pointing the several flaws in the order.
Here is the full statement by Pinjra Tod:
The statement said the matter of continuing education was brought up to divert attention from “talking about the questionable NIA probe, the extra-judicial annulment of her marriage on a habeas corpus petition, etc.”
The hostel, where “the husband cannot stay” and whose “rules” the judges found necessary to direct that Hadiya must abide by, provides an ideal space in the interim, for the judiciary to come across as ‘granting’ her ‘freedom’, while ensuring that various mechanisms and regulations of control and surveillance over her life continue to function with legal sanction.Pinjra Tod’s Statement
The statement also shows scepticism about the decision of making the ‘dean’ her ‘guardian’. It says that, “ We continue to be sceptical of what this rhetoric of safety and concern may entail for Hadiya.”
The Principal’s statement shows very clearly how willing our institutions of higher education are to act as an instrument/extension of familial and parental control over women’s mobility and decisions.Pinjra Tod’s Statement
Showing support towards Hadiya’s courage, the statement concluded by urging the court must respect her life choices without interfering in it.
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