Women give azaadi to their thoughts

There is a point in every social movement when it embraces another language and evolves one of its own — one that is playful and irreverent. Ditto the case on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Friday in  Delhi, when 16 women’s groups marched from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar, demanding a range of things, including the implementation of the recommendations of the Justice Verma committee to curb crimes against women.

Azaadi (freedom) slogans, earlier heard in the context of Kashmir, were innovatively used by a students’ group leading a ‘Bekhauf azaadi’ (freedom without fear) campaign to match the aspirations of the youth who took to the streets and to highlight key points of the struggle. “Baap se bhi azaadi aur khap se bhi azaadi (freedom from a father and a khap’s vice grip). This was one of the lines which became very popular,” says Ravi, a JNU student. Taking the further, the protestors yelled, “Sadak pe bhi azaadi, gharon mein bhi azaadi” (freedom on the streets and the home).

The word azaadi was a refrain. The slogans blended into a long chant, which gained momentum. Other popular lines included: “Raat mein bhi azaadi, din mein bhi azaadi (freedom at night and in the day), daftar mein bhi azaadi, college mein bhi azaadi (freedom at work and at college).”

It captured what All-India Progressive Women’s Association secretary Kavita Krishnan said about the crowd: that the young detested any kind of moral policing. “Shaadi karne ki azaadi aur na karne ki azaadi (freedom to make a choice whether to marry)”, the slogan goes on to say. There were even ones on the debate over the age of consent for sex and unsafe streets.

@ihskaa