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Gurmehar Kaur’s Social Media Campaign: Of Aspirations and Trolls

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The DU Student who began the ‘Students Against ABVP’ campaign has become the subject of memes and jokes online, after an old video resurfaced the social media.

The events of 21st and 22nd February, 2017, have sparked a fire in hearts of students and teachers who had been directly, and indirectly, wronged. The source of this fire can be traced back to the events in Ramjas College, University of Delhi, where the English Department had organised a two-day seminar on ‘Cultures of Protest,’ inviting Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid Shora. The former speaker, Khalid, was to give a segment on “The War in Adivasi Area,” a session which could not be transcended to reality due to safety concerns. The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) disrupted the conference with violence soon after, for the two JNU speakers were the “anti-national element” in the campus which could not be permitted to deliver. A peaceful protest broke out the same day and the next to stand against the viciousness of ABVP which targeted teachers and students alike.

As the varsity split into chaos and patriot wars, a student of Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, Gurmehar Kaur had to give way to her stifled voice. The brutal attacks on her friends and the incessant supply of rape threats to the protestors demanded an action out of her; one which would be joined by students all across the campus. With a caption on a placard reading, “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of ABVP. I am not alone. Every student of India is with me. #StudentsAgainstABVP,” the social media campaign against ‘ABVP’s hooliganism’ garnered recognition and support from all corners. The domino effect had begun; people changed their display pictures on Facebook with a similar caption in protest of the violence propagated by the student-wing. As ideal and effective the internet space is desired by us, it also paves the way to brute remarks and threats of extreme degree. What thus began was not an exchange of dialogue to facilitate debate and discussion of ‘ideologies,’ but far from it, a cycle of online trolling attacking all individual aspects to deter spirits.

Gurmehar Kaur is the daughter of a Kargil martyr and had previously posted a video on social media alluding to the ideals of war and the stereotypes against Muslims and Pakistan, commenting, “Pakistan did not kill my father. War did.” The objective of the video was to accentuate the notions of peace between the two countries and highlight her struggle after her father’s death. A brief statement in an otherwise lengthy video, this became the foundation for online bullying. Memes and jokes relating Kaur to the likes of Dawood Ibrahim began to surface on the internet. The comparison was brought forward by a BJP MP, Pratap Simha, who along with other ministers claimed that the young mind is being manipulated by a political propaganda and are mere ‘pawns.’ This was escalated by the former cricketer Virender Sehwag’s picture with the caption, “I didn’t score two triple centuries, my bat did” and was supported by the actor, Randeep Hooda with a comment on Twitter.

Wrestler Babita Phougat joined in when Rana Ayyub urged her to take a stand for Kaur, she responded by saying, “Is it right to talk in favour of someone who doesn’t favour her own nation?”

On February 28th, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt added fuel to the mockery by posting a meme which seeks to draw an analogy between Kaur’s post, a black buck, Adolf Hitler, and Osama Bin Laden.

In a country which harbours an overwhelming fascination towards the members of the acting and sports fraternity, a mockery from these sects would be resonated by a large section of the society which idealises these entities. The posting of the picture and sharing memes reduce the message of Kaur’s campaign which demands freedom of speech and shifts the onus to an India-Pakistan nationalist debate, making her susceptible to social media abuse and other serious ramifications. Kaur has been receiving increasing rape threats since, as if the rhetoric of threatening rape is synonymous to the degree of divergence. She had filed a FIR with the police and brought her concerns forward to the Delhi Commission for Women.

After days of receiving flak, being termed as an anti-nationalist, and being on the receiving end of inhumane threats, Kaur has withdrawn from the campaign after a post on Facebook saying that “the campaign was never about me but the students,” and “To anyone questioning my courage and bravery, I have shown enough.” The 20-year college student began this campaign with a simple idea of standing against the injustice faced by the college fraternity and has successfully propagated a message of solidarity.

 

Saumya Kalia
[email protected]

 

Image credits: Indian Express

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Arts & Culture

Frenzy at Delhi Technological University’s fashion show

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To win lauds during the fests is the reason why various societies, as well as the Organising Committees invest months of hard work and dedication in preparation, but all these efforts can turn futile if there is a tiff between the participants and the organisers. The latest case in point is Engifest – an annual three day extravangza organised by Delhi Technological University (DTU).

While a look at the Facebook page of Engifest boasts of successful completion, the testimonies of the participants of Pradhan – fashion show completion says otherwise.

Unacceptable Delay

All the participating teams were asked to report at 1pm as the show was to begin at 3:30, however due to the mismanagement of the organisers, it commenced at 5:30 pm. To make the matters worse a sponsored event “Campus Princess” was added in between the ongoing competition which went on for 1 hour. Later in the day, Paridhan was again interrupted with the performance by Lagori Band. All these additional activities stretched the competition till late at night and this caused many teams to back out. Clearly, preference was given to other things besides the “cordially invited” teams.

Tanisha, President of Galore, fashion society of Maitreyi College said, “The organisers told the remaining teams that the show will resume only after the band gives their whole performance as a result of which all the performers had to wait for another couple of hours. Maitreyi is an all-girls college. We told DTU’s coordinators that it’ll be tough for us to travel back alone after 9 PM, but no solution came to action.”
No Green rooms, arbitrary slot allotment and technical glitches

The very basic requirement of a green room to change into outfits, set hair-makeup and props is a must, but Delhi Technological University failed in providing that too. Sanya Sood, President of Poise – fashion society of Indian Institute of Home Economics affirms that, “There were no green rooms. Being an all-girls team we asked for a proper room, but weren’t given any. We’ve never faced this kind of treatment before.”

Somehow the participants got ready and started with their performance, only to encounter another problem: the essential spotlights and the audio won’t work. “There was no lightning during our performance and no volume during our voiceover”, Hitesh from Finesse – The Fashion Society of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies deplored.

Sarthak Kathuria, President of IVogue, fashion society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce resonated the same sentiment, “We were performing when the music stopped, we waited on stage hoping that someone would fix the technical glitch, but no avail. Meanwhile the indecent elements in the crowd started passing lewd comments. After a point it became unbearable and we had to get off the stage.”

Distasteful delinquencies

Inconvenience is one thing, but disrespect is a whole new deal altogether. Everyone can deal with minor disruptions, but when organisers pretend that nothing is going wrong that’s when the situation becomes problematic.
When the DTU management announced that the fashion show has been postponed to accommodate the performance by Lagori Band, the participating teams rebelled against this decision. Within seconds a heated arguments flared up. The remaining teams agreed not to perform and asked the DTU coordinators for a public apology and compensation by dividing the cash prize.

Tanisha Sharma, President of Galore, fashion society of Maitreyi College alleged that, “The Professor and the coordinators didn’t listen to a word we said. Instead they made fun of our situation and also threatened us to leave the college premises. What’s more deplorable is that one coordinator who was drunk offered money to our participant and misbehaved.”

Sarthak Kathuria, President of IVogue, fashion society of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce conceded by adding that, “Harsh Kapoor, a member of our group was threatened while defending Kunica, a participant from Maitreyi College.”

In defense of DTU

Talking to DU Beat, the Cultural Council of DTU maintained that the allegations of misbehavior are false and baseless. Responding to the accusations of not providing green rooms and addressing technical glitches, they asserted that, “There was no compromise with lights. Only a minor power failure occurred during the performance of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce. We tried our best to fix the glitch as soon as possible, but decision to stop the performance midway was made by the IVogue at their own discretion.”

DTU did admit that the allocation of the green rooms did take some time, but reasoned by saying, “We had to look for new rooms because the portable green rooms became inhabitable due to heat. Finally the teams were allotted air conditioned classrooms in the electrical block.” They also added that the fashion show was delayed as a result of two factors – teams arriving late and green rooms getting shifted.

In this situation where there are equally convincing and conflicting narratives, it not just hard but almost impossible to conclude which side is at the fault. When college fests are increasingly becoming all about star nights, it is often that the concerns of participating teams are trivialized. On the other hand, the participants do not take cognizance of the ceaseless and pressure the over-worked organizers face or make vexatious demands.
Ideally, there should a mutual understanding between both the parties and judging by this incident we can tell that the absence of understanding turns fests into a regrettable experience.

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

Image credits: Enigfest, DTU (Facebook Page)

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Arts & Culture

5 hacks to watch the movies on the cheap

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As college students, we are all familiar with the phenomenon of being forever broke and with great movie releases ahead of us (Yes, it is The Lego Batman movie I talk of), we present to you – hacks that allow you to enjoy these films without burning a hole in your pocket.

 

  1. Make Use of Those Apps– Popular apps like Paytm and BookMyShow offer huge discounts, even on new releases. Sounds too good to be true, but check out deals like 50% cashback on ticket fare or 100% cashback on convenience fee and the best part, the greater the number of bookings, the bigger the discount!

 

  1. Do Your Research– Most of us tend to book tickets at the same halls that we’ve been going to for decades – it’s time to shake things up! Try independent theatres that have a smaller number of screens- 3CS in Lajpat Nagar, DT Cinemas in GK-2 , Golcha Cinemas next to Chawri Baazar or even Regal in CP that offer tickets at under 200. Multiplexes having movie halls with multiple screens always charge a greater fee and what’s more, you’ll even discover a new hangout spot while you’re at it.

 

  1. Choose Your Time Wisely– We often prefer evening shows but guess what, there’s a reason why they say that ‘the early bird catches the worm.’ Morning shows are available at half the price, even at pricier theatres like PVR and DT in Saket. For all those who love the luxurious experience, early shows are the answer to your prayers.

 

  1. Lay Off the Snacking– It’s a universal truth that no movie is complete without something to munch on-but I regret to inform you, you’ve got to pick between the popcorn and nachos – after all we can’t have it all. A tip: popcorn is a better option as it’s cheaper and the quantity is worth the money, nachos on the other hand are expensive and finish before you know it. However, for those who can’t keep their hands off, invest in combo deals that are more economical in nature, because we live to eat, right?

 

  1. Use Credit Card Perks– Your credit card could act as a discount pass when you want to see the latest blockbuster. Most cards offer member perks, some of which can be discounts at the movie theater. What’s more, some cards including More offer as much as 5% cash back on various purchases in rotating categories. Each company’s cash back calendar is different, so check your service agreement to see if you’ll get cash back at the movies during the year. That way, you’ll get a little extra padding in your bank account just for seeing the latest action flick.

 

Anahita Sahu
[email protected]

 

Image credits: GettyImages

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Sex Amma

Sex Amma: Dealing with low sex drive?

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Sex Amma

Ques: Hey Amma! Me and boyfriend have been together for a long time now, but lately I don’t enjoy the sex as much as I used to, and I don’t feel like doing it but I don’t know how to tell my boyfriend.

Hey, you little macchi, don’t you fret about this too much; Amma is here to help you out! Having a low sex drive is completely normal and can happen to anyone, due to various reasons. Depression, anxiety (or other mental illnesses), low self esteem and stress can be some of the reasons a person feels this way. Other serious reason could be a history of physical abuse.Bouncy castle for sale

Whatever the reason might be, talking to your partner about it is the best solution. Amma knows it is very tough for you idlis and dosas to talk about sex, and especially when it is not going well, but it is important that you and your partner are on the same page. If you are not comfortable talking to your partner at first, then you can talk to a friend or a counsellor. A third person’s perspective may help you realise where the problem lies, and you can start working on it. But, make sure that you don’t hide it from your partner for too long because he needs to know too, right macchi? Don’t be shy about talking about your likes and dislikes with your partner. Amma knows that only communication will help you two little macchis get clarity about what you want (or not want) in bed.

Aiyyo my dear, other than talking about it, leading a healthy life will result in a healthy sex life. Amma will suggest that eating right and exercising regularly can help you to get your libido back and let huge amounts of endorphin into your system. Taking some time off from your packed schedule of classes and internships for a mini vacation or a fancy date can also help you idlis bring the spark back, as well. You macchis can also try spicing up the curry with some help from role-play and dirty-talk!

Whatever you do my darling puttu, don’t beat yourself over this and remember: it is normal to feel this way!

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Campus Central

The difference in college infrastructure: Arts vs. Science

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Is college infrastructure being differentiated on the basis of courses?

We often experience the moment wherein our parents come to us at the end of 10th standard, and try to reason over why we should opt for the sciences in our last 2 years of schooling. For the lot of us who are confident enough to pursue our love for arts and social sciences assure our parents that after class 12, the gates of University of Delhi is open to us. But does the University of Delhi differentiate between the student’s needs on the basis of which course they choose to pursue?

After a short research conducted in a few colleges in Delhi University, it seems that a lot of colleges in terms of infrastructure have disappointed its students. For a few colleges, the students frown upon the overall infrastructure of their campuses. However, a few colleges are skeptical about the difference between the science and arts faculties in terms of facilities. A lot of colleges have been revamping their campuses due to the NAAC assessment, but there is a lingering doubt over whether these developments will remain intact after the NAAC team leaves the college premises. When in conversation with Riya Chhiber, a third-year student at Kamala Nehru College, it was reiterated that, “The entire campus has been changed and improved for the NAAC assessment, due to which washrooms are cleaner, seminar halls are constructed and general provisions in terms of electricity and cleanliness have been made better. However, whether these conditions will remain throughout has not been determined.” Similarly, colleges like Kirori Mal and Jesus and Mary College are constantly under renovation, due to which there is constant and disturbing air of construction during and after college hours.

Premiere colleges like Miranda House and St. Stephens have seen a difference in terms of infrastructure between the sciences and the arts. In conversation with students from Miranda House, who wish to remain anonymous, have placed immense emphasis on how the science block of the college has better facilities in terms of washrooms, classrooms and general atmosphere. They seemed to accept the fact that the science block does have a requirement of state of the art labs; however they do not understand the bias in terms of how the science block has better classrooms than the arts block. They also commented on the presence of air conditioning in many classrooms in the science block, whereas the arts block barely survives on over head fans in the sweltering heat. Similarly, in conversation with students from St. Stephen’s (who wish to remain anonymous), said that the science faculty has ‘lecture halls’ which are more spacious and ventilated, in comparison to the arts faculty, which have regular classrooms. However, we see a flipside to this case when in conversation with T. Chettri, a third-year student from Ramjas College, who says, “The new building which has been constructed in Ramjas, has top-notch classrooms for all students from all courses. Despite the subject and discourse, students of DU have equality in terms of the spaces they occupy in order to learn”. The new developments in Ramjas College shows how DU is changing and creating equal spaces in infrastructure for students across disciplines, a development we hope to see in all DU colleges despite the scrutiny of NAAC’s assessment.

Joyee Bhattacharya

[email protected]

Image credits: Daily Mail

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Fashion

The Spring 2017 Style Guide

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With the onset of spring, comes the dilemma of deciding what to wear. And with stores flooding with garments for the season, picking the right one for the right occasion according to the breezy, pleasant weather makes the head spin! But fret not – here’s our guide to making your spring festivities all the more classy, fun and easy.

 

  1. Don’t let the dark rule!

Winters have been our dark times (not too literally, though!) and after months of packing the wardrobe with dark tones, like greys and browns, it’s time to push them aside to let in the brightness of this season. Pick up garments with brighter basic colours like ivory and lime yellow or pastels like lilac or peach. Or, pep up your look with colourful and bright accessories in single or multi colours.

  1. Ditch the denims

Denims have been our loyal mates who work the year round to make our life easy and comfy, but it is time to ditch the thick fabric for more comfortable and breathable stuff. Pick up some vibrant bottoms instead of the basic blue denims, and team them up with your favourite dark or bright shades (because we know that you can’t get enough of the black)!

  1. Let the bold prints out

Welcome the season with bold prints and show off a bold style statement, or try patterned prints over solid pastel colours, but make sure to wear those that complement your individual style statement. The best part about wearing prints is that they are apt for all occasions, casual or formal. All that needs to be taken care of is the fabric used, as different fabrics allow the print to make different statements.

  1. Keep it experimental yet easy

The most crucial part of the styling journey is keeping it easy. While carrying any outfit, what matters the most is that how confidently one does it, and this is possible only by picking garments that keep you easy and comfortable. However flooded the stores may be with bohemian clothing, pick only those that wouldn’t feel even the least bit uncomfortable. But this mustn’t stop you from being experimental this spring! Experiment with colours, with footwears, bags or accessories, or try different hairdos while ditching your regular go-to options.

 

Here’s the style guide for this spring, so that you break away from the cozy warm winter clothing with a punch of hue and brightness.

 

Priyal Mahtta

[email protected]

 

Image credits: capitolhillhotel-dc.com

 

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Arts & Culture

A riot of colours at Delhi University’s 59th Annual Flower Show

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The 59th Annual Flower Show of University of Delhi took place on 23rd February 2017, with a plethora of activities, which saw the participation of horticulturists, photographers, students, teachers and flower enthusiasts from all over the Delhi-NCR region.

On 23rd February, the 59th Annual Flower Show of the University of Delhi took place in Mughal Garden, North Campus. Special Holiday was announced for the Delhi University colleges on account of this event. As a result, the premises were abuzz with students, teachers and flower enthusiasts appreciating the vibrant and varied blossoms.
The event was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor Mr. Yogesh Tyagi and the Chief Guest of the event was Dr. Harsh Vardhan, the Science and Technology Minister.

Both, indigenous and exotic plants were displayed at the exhibition for the students and visitors. This year, the special attractions were cacti, orchids, succulents, and herbal plants. The show saw both competitive and non-competitive entries from colleges affiliated with the university, schools, and other educational institutes.
Nukkad Natak performances kept the audiences engaged. Students from Department of Botany performed a street play on the topic “Evolution of Natural Selection”, this was followed by another performance by Dhwani, the theater society of Acharya Narendra Dev College. Petals, the on-the-spot Photography competition, was organized at the event for the first time. The theme for the competition was ‘Flower and Emotions’ and with on-the-spot registration, the competition was open to all.

Talking to DU Beat, Shashi B Babbar, Chair of the flower show committee asserted that, “The main objective why we have been organizing this annual event since 1956 is to acknowledge the hard work of our horticulture staff. I believe that Students should raise some plants of their own; this habit can do wonders for our environment. It’s sad that when it comes to botany, India lags behind despite having immense potential since we have a wide and rich biodiversity in terms of flora. I hope that programs like this would infuse some interest in regarding gardening and botany among the general public, primarily the university students.”
The flower show started at 12 noon and remained open till 5 p.m.

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

 

Imgae credits: Ened D’souza

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Arts & Culture

Jesus and Mary College organises 'Montage' 2017: Highlights

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Day 1 started with ‘Adaah’- an event organised by Nrityanjali, the Indian Dance Society of JMC, which included the Indian Classical Solo competition and the Group Folk Dance competition. The competition was judged by Radhika Kathal and Hemant Pandey. In the Group folk dance competition, the participants filled the auditorium which tunes and energetic beats from across India. The competition, in which a total of nine teams participated, the first prize was won by Nupur, the folk dance society of Kamala Nehru College. The second and third prizes were won by Nrityakriti of Maitreyi College and Nazaakat of Gargi College, while the singer of the SGTB Khalsa’s team won a special mention for his exceptional performance.
Echo, the western music society of JMC organised ‘Madrigal’ which included western group singing competition where students of the Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College bagged the first position followed by Sound Machine of St. Stephen’s College winning the second position and Aria of Hindu College securing the third position. In the event of ‘I like to duet x2’, Sparsh and Alankrita of LSR bagged the first position.
For the event ‘Tap That Treble’, which was the western solo singing competition, Sparsh from LSR won the first prize and the second prize was bagged by David from St. Stephen’s College while the third position was jointly won by Sumer from Venky and Zachariah from Ansal University. ‘Battle of Bands’ was judged by Siby Mathew and Roshan Roy, with a total of seven participating bands and Tantrik Steve of Hansraj College gave the award winning performance.
With the competitive events calling it up a day, the enthusiastic crowd gathered to enjoy the concert by Jasleen Royal. The singer enthralled the audience with popular tracks like Kabira and Iktara along with her popular tracks from the film ‘Dear Zindagi’. Day 2 at Montage at JMC started off slow but soon picked up with multiple events taking place simultaneously. The Nukkad Natak or street play competition and the western group dance and choreography events had the audience enthralled. The street play event saw the participation of ten teams from colleges across the University of Delhi. Anubhuti, the theatre society of Sri Venkateswara College bagged the first prize while Natuve, of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, came second. DramaNomics of the College of Vocational Studies was awarded a consolation prize.
Swaying to the rhythmic moves and portraying the brilliance of artistic bodies, Mudra organised the Choreography and Western Dance Competition. Terpsi Chorean from Hans Raj College bagged the first prize, with Sensation from Kirori Mal College receiving the second prize.
The event of choreography was followed by the Western Dance Competition, presenting a motley of performances received by an applauding audience. Zeal, Maitreyi College’s dance society, Misba of Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, and Enliven of Gargi College won the first, second, and third prized respectively. Infusing an element of earful endearance, Tarannum organised the Single and Group Classical Singing Competition. Gargi College’s Indian Music Society, Samranjini emerged as the winner, followed by Alahyaa of Daulat Ram College and Hindu College’s Alankar.
The fest closed with a power packed performance by DJ Kerano, one of the biggest DJ and music producers in the country, where the crowd grooved to the beats, mixing up some amazing tunes such as ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘Yellow’!
Anagha Rakta ([email protected]) Radhika Boruah ([email protected]) Baani Kasyap ([email protected]) Srivedant Kar ([email protected]) Vineeta Rana ([email protected]) Saumya Kalia ([email protected]) Nikhil Kumar ([email protected]) Priyal Mahtta ([email protected])]]>

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Arts & Culture

Jesus and Mary College organises ‘Montage’ 2017: Highlights

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Montage 2017 – the annual cultural fest of Jesus and Mary College – begun with Sister Rosily T.L. r.j.m, the officiating Principal of the college declaring the fest open, saying, “We are proud to invite all the students to Montage this year.  We wish the students who have organised the fest all the very best”.

Day 1 started with ‘Adaah’- an event organised by Nrityanjali, the Indian Dance Society of JMC, which included the Indian Classical Solo competition and the Group Folk Dance competition. The competition was judged by Radhika Kathal and Hemant Pandey. In the Group folk dance competition, the participants filled the auditorium which tunes and energetic beats from across India. The competition, in which a total of nine teams participated, the first prize was won by Nupur, the folk dance society of Kamala Nehru College. The second and third prizes were won by Nrityakriti of Maitreyi College and Nazaakat of Gargi College, while the singer of the SGTB Khalsa’s team won a special mention for his exceptional performance.

Echo, the western music society of JMC organised ‘Madrigal’ which included western group singing competition where students of the Western Music Society of Lady Shri Ram College bagged the first position followed by Sound Machine of St. Stephen’s College winning the second position and Aria of Hindu College securing the third position. In the event of ‘I like to duet x2’, Sparsh and Alankrita of LSR bagged the first position.

For the event ‘Tap That Treble’, which was the western solo singing competition, Sparsh from LSR won the first prize and the second prize was bagged by David from St. Stephen’s College while the third position was jointly won by Sumer from Venky and Zachariah from Ansal University. ‘Battle of Bands’ was judged by Siby Mathew and Roshan Roy, with a total of seven participating bands and Tantrik Steve of Hansraj College gave the award winning performance.

With the competitive events calling it up a day, the enthusiastic crowd gathered to enjoy the concert by Jasleen Royal. The singer enthralled the audience with popular tracks like Kabira and Iktara along with her popular tracks from the film ‘Dear Zindagi’.

Day 2 at Montage at JMC started off slow but soon picked up with multiple events taking place simultaneously. The Nukkad Natak or street play competition and the western group dance and choreography events had the audience enthralled. The street play event saw the participation of ten teams from colleges across the University of Delhi. Anubhuti, the theatre society of Sri Venkateswara College bagged the first prize while Natuve, of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, came second. DramaNomics of the College of Vocational Studies was awarded a consolation prize.

Swaying to the rhythmic moves and portraying the brilliance of artistic bodies, Mudra organised the Choreography and Western Dance Competition. Terpsi Chorean from Hans Raj College bagged the first prize, with Sensation from Kirori Mal College receiving the second prize.

The event of choreography was followed by the Western Dance Competition, presenting a motley of performances received by an applauding audience. Zeal, Maitreyi College’s dance society, Misba of Shri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, and Enliven of Gargi College won the first, second, and third prized respectively. Infusing an element of earful endearance, Tarannum organised the Single and Group Classical Singing Competition. Gargi College’s Indian Music Society, Samranjini emerged as the winner, followed by Alahyaa of Daulat Ram College and Hindu College’s Alankar.

The fest closed with a power packed performance by DJ Kerano, one of the biggest DJ and music producers in the country, where the crowd grooved to the beats, mixing up some amazing tunes such as ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘Yellow’!

Anagha Rakta ([email protected])

Radhika Boruah ([email protected])

Baani Kasyap ([email protected])

Srivedant Kar ([email protected])

Vineeta Rana ([email protected])

Saumya Kalia ([email protected])

Nikhil Kumar ([email protected])

Priyal Mahtta ([email protected])

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Arts Faculty

Of Perusing Languages

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Of all the major areas of research, linguistics is one such department in the University of Delhi which has been carrying on interesting and detailed work on the endangered languages of the India.

The scientific study of language is known as linguistics. In linguistics, syntax is the set of rules, principles, and processes that govern the structure of sentences in a given language, specifically word order. The term syntax is also used to refer to the study of such principles and processes. Semantics is primarily the linguistic, and also philosophical, study of meaning—in language, programming languages, formal logic, and semiotics. It focuses on the relationship between signifiers-like words, phrases, signs and symbols—and what they stand for, their denotation. All the languages have different syntax, semantics and tones. It is indeed a field of study which brings up the significance of the languages spoken in even nook and corner of the world.

Now, we have numerous lists of endangered species of flora and fauna in the world. Similarly, the socio-cultural importance of the 6,500 spoken languages around the world cannot be disregarded. UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger categorises 2,473 languages into five levels of endangerment: vulnerable, definitely endangered, severely endangered, critically endangered and extinct. Languages that are at risk of falling out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language are known as endangered languages. Language loss occurs when the language has no more native speakers and becomes a “dead language”. If eventually no one speaks the language at all, it becomes an “extinct language”. Linguists, members of endangered language communities, governments, NGOs, and international organizations are actively working to save and stabilize endangered languages. Once a language is determined to be endangered, there are three steps that can be taken in order to stabilize or rescue the language. The first is language documentation, the second is language revitalization and the third is language maintenance. Language documentation is the documentation in writing and audio-visual recording of grammar, vocabulary, and oral traditions of endangered languages. Language revitalization is the process by which a language community through political, community, and educational means attempts to increase the number of active speakers of the endangered language. Language maintenance refers to the support given to languages that need for their survival to be protected from outsiders who can ultimately affect the number of speakers of a language. Almost all of the study of language endangerment has been with spoken languages. A UNESCO study of endangered languages does not mention sign languages. However, some sign languages are also endangered, such as Alipur Village Sign Language (AVSL) of India. Many sign languages are used by small communities; small changes in their environment can lead to the endangerment and loss of their traditional sign language. Understanding the structure of these endangered languages of the world will help the linguists at least preserve of what has remained of those languages. Different languages portray different visions of life and apparently they help to know the civilisations better, the ancient, and also the modern ones.

Saying Hello in different Languages
Saying Hello in different Languages

One primary reason of highlighting this department is because of its unfamiliar field of exploration. Some of the research works taken up by the Post Graduate students of DU include Documentation and description of endangered languages, Historical Linguistics, Phonology, Morphology, Language contact, Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics, Linguistic Stylistics, Applied Linguistics, Generative Phonology, Translation Studies, Sociolinguistics, Lexicography. Indo-Norwegian Cooperation programme is a new initiative aimed to foster cooperation in education between the two countries. In its meeting on Oct 1 2014 the SIU-UGC joint committee granted permission to 15 projects. One of these INCP supported project is- A Micro comparative Study of Doubling in Dialects of Meiteilon and Norwegian as a Case of Syntactic Variation. Since then several workshops were held both in DU and Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim and Norway. Although not very old, this department of DU has not failed to amuse the international platforms with the numerous projects on Linguistics.

 

Image credits: onehourtranslation.com

 

Radhika Boruah

[email protected]

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