New Delhi: Copies of Manusmrit has been burnt by JNU student including former and current members of the ABVP to protest against “derogatory verse” in the Hindu religious text. The student choose women’s day to show their protest and send message that anything derogatory towards women will not be tolerated.
Jatin Goraiya who is vice president of the ABVP unit in JNU burnt pages which contain 40 derogatory references against the women and said “Today is women’s day and in order to oppose the derogatory remarks made against women in the Manusmriti, we have burnt certain portions of the text”.
Pradeep Narwal, who recently left the ABVP citing “ideological differences,” was one of the main organisers of the event. He read out the 40 points before burning the pages of the text.
He said “I have problems with these 40 points that are derogatory towards women and Dalits. If anyone thinks I am not right, they can tell me.”
Some of the points included “2/213. It is the nature of the women to seduce men in this world, for that reason the wise are never unguarded in the company of females” and “2/214. Women, true to their class character, are capable of leading astray men in this world, not only a fool but even a learned and wise man. Both become slaves of desire”.
Security guard took the videos of the protest by student.