Office door of Dhanak that was vandalised by miscreants
In a tragic event in Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, the office door of Dhanak- a queer group of the campus- was vandalised by unknown people on 27th May, 2014, just a day after Narendra Modi was sworn in as the PM. It is suspected that the act was done by students of the campus only as the group had received threats earlier.
The office of the group is in one of the hostels in JNU. The administration is not very supportive of the cause so the group has to completely sustain by itself and hence one of the rooms is used as its office. The door of the office is used as a notice board to dispense information regarding the activities of the group. The method has been very helpful in sensitising the people on campus and also encouraging them to discuss their queries. The office has been working smoothly ever since the group was formed in September, 2013. The notice board has been a space where not only the queer politics have been discussed but also a nuanced discussion on queerness has taken place and different political parties have been critiqued. Although Dhanak has faced marginalisation and oppression from the political parties who have opposed its politics all around the campus, this space has nevertheless remained unhindered so far until recently.
On 27th May, 2014 when the group members went to the office in the evening, they were shocked to see that the posters had been ripped off rather brutally. They quickly informed other members of the group and collectively decided that this information had to be shared with everyone. It must be noted that the posters have been put up on the door ever since the group was formed, but them being ripped off, at this time, when there is a moment of political change in the country signifies something more serious than just some random person doing it. The group wants to share that they stand unperturbed by such incidents and their voices cannot be silenced. The group believes in support and collective work and it will still stand by its politics. It has put back the posters to signify its firm belief. It is something the group shares with the recently deceased Maya Angelou “You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I’ll rise.”
- JNU Queer Group’s Office Door Vandalised - June 3, 2014