Hundreds of women led by Pinjra Tod blocked one of Delhi’s busiest roads in front of the Vishwavidayala Metro Station on Tuesday evening. Despite heavy security being deployed, the road remained blocked for hours and police authorities were forced to take measures to divert the traffic.

But why were these Delhi University students protesting in the first place? What was it that forced them to stage a dharna on the streets of the capital instead of on their campus grounds?

The students’ were demanding the abolition of curfew timings in hostels as well as the construction of more numbers of women’s hostels in DU and for the formation of an effective Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) to tackle rampant sexual harassment that takes place on the campus and across various DU colleges.

However, the DU administration has failed to give any concrete assurance to these students. Kratika, an M.A. student and member of Pinjra Tod said: “The facade that they protect us because they care for us really needs to end. It’s not just about a college or about one university—this movement is for all of us everywhere.”

Notably, the protest against curfew timings is not restricted to just central universities anymore. Although central universities such as Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia have been fighting against curfew timings and working towards overturning the age-old rules that govern campuses, the movement is now seen to be gaining nationwide momentum at the likes of Punjab University in Chandigarh and Hidayatullah National Law University, as well as in regional universities across Bhopal, Patiala, and Bhubaneswar.

At the forefront of the rage against discriminatory hostel rules and curfew timings, is the women’s collective Pinjra Tod, who believe in smashing the cages that restrict freedom of women.

Avantika Tewari, another member of Pinjra Tod, said: “Curfews are an imposition not on just women’s mobilisation but also their bodies. We refuse to being safeguarded like this. We reject privatisation of education and demand affordable and inclusive hostels for all.”

Devika, another member, said: “Women students are adults when it comes to electing the prime minister of the country but not when she wants to go out to eat chaat.”

On October 8, students of Delhi University first held a meeting with the DU administration. This failed to reach any conclusion. In the evening, hundreds of women (and men) staged a dharna in the Arts Faculty of the North Campus with a list of demands, including construction of hostels in colleges that do not have hostels, such as Miranda house and Dyal Singh college; abolition of curfew timings and local guardianship, minimisation of hostel fee, and strict implementation of reservations in all hostels.

Protestors also claimed that the decision to block the traffic and stage a sit-in-dharna on the road was triggered by the DU administration’s apathy towards the demands being made by the women.

After deliberations with police authorities, the students agreed to clear the roadblock and marched towards the Arts Faculty. They took siege of the exit route of DU Proctor Neeta Sehgal—this is when the night-long sit-in dharna started.

Talks with the Deputy Proctor  failed as she responded to each demand with responses such as “we agree to this” and “we will look into this.”

Eventually, when Sehgal returned to address the students at around midnight, all she said was: “The situation remains the same. The request and demands have been sent to an appropriate authority.”

She also refused to provide any deadline to address the students’ demands.