After receiving massive flak and open rape threats for launching a social media campaign against ABVP, Lady Shri Ram College student Gurmehar Kaur has decided withdraw and leave Delhi.
She also pulled out of a protest march that was to be held in North campus on Tuesday organised by Left-wing students’ group AISA.
Her friend, Ram Subramaniam said she is “scared” and confirmed that she will be leaving Delhi on Twitter.
Just spoke to @mehartweets she is really scared. She’s leaving delhi for now. It’s sad we have become this country. Really really sad.
— Ram Subramanian (@Voice_Of_Ram) February 28, 2017
The 20-year-old literature student had posted series of tweets explaining her decision and also requesting to be “left alone”
I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
The campaign is about students and not about me. Please go to the March in huge numbers. Best of luck.
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I’ve shown more than enough
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
She further requested everyone to stop spamming her social media accounts
It’s a request, please leave me alone. Stop spamming my wall and phone. Any question abt my decision tweet to @Voice_Of_Ram
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
One thing is for sure, next time we will think twice before resorting to violence or threats and that’s all this was about (2/2)
— Gurmehar Kaur (@mehartweets) February 28, 2017
Kaur was also provided with police protection on Monday after she was trolled and threatened with dire consequences over her campaign against the RSS’s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Last year, she had featured in a video where she was seen holding placards and appealing for peace between India and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the police has registered an FIR against unknown persons in connection with the case of a Kargil martyr’s daughter.
The English faculty at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, where she studies, has come out in support of the student. In a statement, they applauded Gurmehar’s “bravery'” and condemned Virender Sehwag and Randeep Hooda’s trolling of the student on Twitter.
This is what the statement said,
“The English Department of Lady Shri Ram College, where Gurmehar Kaur is a first year student of English Honours, has unanimously issued the following statement today.
We, the faculty members of the English Department, Lady Shri Ram College unequivocally and strongly support our student Gurmehar Kaur and her right to express her opinion on issues that embroil our university. It is immensely gratifying to us as her teachers that she has responded sensitively, creatively and bravely to events in her immediate context rather than seek the safe refuge of silence. We feel that it is the bounden duty of educational institutions to nurture sensitive, responsive and critical thinking students without the fear of violent retaliation. We are proud that Gurmehar has fulfilled her duty as a young citizen of this country. The threats of violence and brutality that she faces are absolutely reprehensible. Responses on social media by public figures such as Virendra Sehwag and Randeep Hooda are shameful trivialisation of the intimidation that Gurmehar faces at the hands of violent mobs whose viciousness the university has recently witnessed.We fervently appeal to the good sense of the public and to institutions of redressal to help restore our faith in law and justice in our country and let our young citizens think and articulate without fear of intimidation.
Rita Joshi, Madhu Grover, Rukshana Shroff, ArtiMinocha, Maya Joshi, ShernazCama, Mitali Mishra, Arunima Ray, DiptiNath, Maitreyee Mandal, JanetLalawmpuii, Ngangom Maheshkanta Singh, Karuna Rajeev, Wafa Hamid, Jonathan Varghese, TaniyaSachdeva, Rachita Mittal.”
(Feature image source: Facebook/GurMehar Kaur)
