Holi an anti-women festival, claim new posters on JNU campus

New Delhi, Mar 29: New posters have come up on the JNU campus that describe Holi as an "anti-women" festival as "historically it has sexually abused Dalit women in the name of celebrations".

The campus, which was recently rocked by a controversy triggered by an event last month to mark the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, has become the nerve centre of a debate on freedom of speech. Titled "what is holy about Holi", the posters plastered on the walls of eateries, markets and schools on the campus are also doing the rounds of social media.

"Why does Brahminical-patriarchal India celebrate the burning of Holika, an asura bahujan woman? What is holy about holi? Historically, the festival has also sexually abused Dalit women in the name of celebrations," the posters read.

The text on the posters further read "celebration of Holi is against womanhood". The posters carry the name of a group -- Flames of Resistance (FOR).

A JNUSU office bearer said she hasn't heard of any such group. "It seems to be some new group". Recently, a group of students had burnt ancient legal text Manusmriti alleging some of its excerpts had "derogatory" references to women.

PTI