DU Beat, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Features

Of Cheap Single-Occupancy Hotels and Other Woes

By DU Beat March 9, 2023

While the tropes that define romantic media are often ridiculed, they are immensely popular and continue to persist, and the popularity of these tropes reflects our own ideals and aspirations with regards to finding love.

Enemies to lovers. Forced proximity. Fake dating. These are just some of the tropes that run abound in the romance genre. Romance has always been one of the most widely loved and popular themes in media, starting from as far back as ancient Greece. Over time, several common romance tropes have emerged which continue to be used in various forms of media. By virtue of their very nature, such tropes are huge cliches. It is widely recognised that they are unrealistic and such things rarely ever happen in real life. However, the continued popularity of these tropes in media seems to suggest that in spite of such attitudes, people still enjoy them immensely.

By definition, a trope is a frequently used plot device in media. While the term itself has come into use recently, the concept has existed for centuries. For example, forbidden love is one of the most common romance tropes which has persisted throughout centuries; there are several stories of Greek mythology which revolve around this trope. Think of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, which has inspired thousands of stories in books, movies, music and art. Other tropes like fake dating have developed more recently, but have proved to be equally popular as media involving them is voraciously consumed by people. In fact, it could be argued that the entirety of romance-themed media is now built around these different romantic tropes because that is what people wish to see.

The interesting thing about this is that these tropes are widely ridiculed by a very large section of people because they are seen as unrealistic, and because of how frequently they are used, also as boring and vapid. In spite of this, their popularity remains unchallenged, and often the very people who ridicule them are also the ones who enjoy them. The question is, what is it that makes us love these tropes? Why do we keep going back to them even when we know they are unrealistic? Most of us don’t expect to find love by being forced to share a bed with a grumpy but weirdly endearing person, but we love reading about it or watching about it anyway.

To me, it seems like the very unrealistic nature of these tropes that we make fun of is also what makes us love them. Finding love is difficult. It is unlikely that something like falling in love at first sight will ever happen in our own lives. So we read about it or watch it play out between two characters on a screen because it offers us an escape from the complications of our own real-world quests to find ‘true love’. There is comfort to be found in the predictability of these romance tropes because our own lives are fraught with uncertainty at every turn. Your academic rival will probably not end up becoming your partner, but in the romance novel you’re reading it will definitely happen.

All these romance tropes have different characteristics and often, we like them because we want to experience the same things in our own relationships. If you loved the exchange of snarky comments and sarcastic quips between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma, it is probable that you want a relationship in which you can have the same kind of banter with your partner. It is no secret that a lot of people put themselves in the shoes of the characters they are watching. In a way, consuming media with these romance tropes is a way of vicariously experiencing the different situations and emotions that arise from them.

The popularity of these tropes speaks for themselves. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, a variation of the enemies to lovers trope in an academic setting, sold millions of copies around the world and became a sensation on Tiktok. Titanic is one of the most popular movies in the world, and people still bawl their eyes out watching Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet’s doomed relationship play out on the screen. At the end of the day, in spite of their improbability, all romance tropes carry something or the other that we can all relate to. The experiences might not be universal, but the emotions attached to them are. Romance tropes in the media will continue to persist as long as people love and wish to be loved. So while you probably shouldn’t (and don’t) expect to find love when your dupatta gets caught in a stranger’s watch, you can take comfort in the fact that the characters on your screen will, no matter what happens in your own life.

Image credit: Pinterest

Urmi Maitra

[email protected]

Fearful of Failing Language Exams, First Year Students Reapply for CUET

By DU Beat March 4, 2023

Many first year DU students who opted for regional language subjects are reapplying for CUET 2023-24 because of the fear of failing their exams owing to advanced syllabus and other administrative issues.

Several first year students enrolled in BA programme degrees who opted for regional languages are now reapplying for CUET 2023-24. They are doing so out of the fear of failing their language exams, which have an unexpectedly advanced syllabus. The students believed that they would be taught the basics of the languages they had chosen. They are unaware about basics such as the alphabets of the languages, and yet are being taught complicated literature.

The University has adopted an extremely nonchalant attitude towards the concern of these students. Its response is that nothing can be done about the issue at hand. In fact, the administration holds the students responsible for not rectifying the curriculum beforehand. The demand raised by the student body to be able to change their language subjects to either Hindi or Sanskrit has repeatedly been denied.

The syllabus had to be completed in a short span, so there was absolutely no comprehensive explanation of topics and the lectures lacked any sort of discussions.”

– Aishwarya, a first year student of Gargi College in conversation with DU Beat

The students have also complained regarding the fiasco created around the eligibility criteria. In November 2022, the document issued by the university on its website did not contain the eligibility criteria. However, when inspected by PTI, an old document with an unedited eligibility criteria was visible. This further fuelled confusion among the students.

There is also a severe delay in the appointment of teachers of language subjects. A Miranda House student of BA Programme with Political Science and Tamil as her combination has revealed that she is the only student in the college with such a combination, and a teacher was appointed to her only last week. Many students are extremely dejected, and are afraid that they will fail their end-semester exams. This apprehension is leading them to consider appearing for CUET and taking admission all over again, with different choice of subjects.

Rubani Sandhu

[email protected]

Image credit: Hindustan Times

Features

DU Beat 21 Under 21: Of Dreams and Determination

By DU Beat March 3, 2023

From time to time, we come across talented and awe-inspiring individuals who deserve their stories to be told. So here is to 21 such amazing individuals who have achieved great feats in their lives before even tasting the 21st year of their life.

Ankita Singh Gujjar

Ankita is a 2022 graduate of Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She was selected for the Harvard US- India Conference 2021 and has been a research intern at the Asian Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Foreign Policy Research Centre, and Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She is also serving as the council president of WICCI India France Council and has published multiple papers.

Vikramaditya Kumar Taneja, Founder of DU Connect and Blue-Leaves Community

Vikramaditya is an economics student at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and is the founder of DU Connect and Blue-Leaves Community— platforms that aim to help out students. He has also interned at NITI Aayog, Nykaa, and Ernst & Young, and has been recognised by the CSO at Ogilvy for his contribution and by IIM Shillong for the acceptance of 2+ papers in International journals.

Paridhi Puri, Diana Award Winner

Paridhi Puri, who recently graduated from Jesus and Mary College, has been awarded the Student of the Year award, TIMES NIE (2017-18); World Enterprising Student award (2018); and the Diana award (2021). She has also interned with AVPN, Invest India, Central Square Foundation, and UNICEF India (National representative at G20 World Summit 2018).

Naman Khanna, Magician and Mind Reader

Naman Khanna is a Political Science Honours Student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. A winner of the Idol Hunt India 2020, he has been invited to perform by SpideyHypnosis twice. He has also collaborated with YouTubers such as Karan Singh Magic, Gamerfleet, The Jhumroo Tal Entertainer, Payal Gaming, etc., and has performed in numerous colleges and events.

Uttkarsh Sachdeva, Co-founder of eduPaper

Uttkarsh Sachdeva is a 2022 graduated B.Sc. Honours student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, who is also the co-founder of eduPaper. In addition, he has also interned with various names such as Invest India, NITI Aayog, India Today Group, Concord Collective, and Ernst & Young.

Himanshu K

Himanshu is an EY scholarship winner (2021-22). He also received a 100% scholarship to attend Sakura High School Program in Japan in 2018. In addition, he was a winner at the International Robotronics Competition (IRC) held at Singapore University of Technology and Design in 2017 and qualified for IRC in 2016 and 2018 as well.

Ishita Arora, Founder of HOPE

Ishita Arora is pursuing B.Com (Hons.) in Hindu College and is the founder of HOPE, a mental health project which aims to make help more accessible. She is also a founding member of Paalan Foundation and the Entrepreneurship Student Council, and has authored the book ‘The Unspoken: A Romance Novella’.

Sanya Gupta, Aspiring Journalist

An aspiring journalist looking to explore and experiment with the different shades of the media industry, Sanya is a final-year student studying Journalism at Kamla Nehru College. Sanya has interned with industry big-guns including Times Now, Outlook India and is a staunch believer in journalism for a cause.

Soniyal Bajaj

Soniyal is a final year undergraduate political science honours student at SGTB Khalsa College. A true-blue believer in empathy-backed courage leading to revolutionary changes, Soniyal has contributed significantly in different capacities to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Project and has been a leading voice in the mission to better healthcare.

Palak Verma

Palak is a student of English at Kalindi College and a content creator and writer for formidable organisations like POPxo and LinkedIn. Palak has worked extensively with Social Media and Content Management throughout her time in college. She is also The Community Services Director of the Rotaract Club of D-town.

Samya Verma

An international diplomacy and foreign affairs enthusiast, Samya is a student of History at Hindu College. With prominent institutions like Harvard and Kootneeti to her name, she has been an active writer on Asia’s relations with the world at various forums. Samya’s interests include women’s history and international relations.

Lubna Malhotra

Lubna is an Economics Hons. graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. With a 31000-strong profile on LinkedIn and internship experience at BW Business World and Meesho to her name, Lubna’s primary interests lie in product, finance, and marketing. She was also one of the founding members of Aghaaz, NSS LSR.

Abhinav Sardesai

A third-year student studying Commerce at Hindu College, Abhinav’s experience on the global stage includes working closely with a UN-constituted team for a Lebanese client. He describes himself as a passionate finance and consulting enthusiast with a penchant for problem-solving in the economics and corporate sector.

Surbhi Siwach, Intern at Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GOI

Surbhi is a recent graduate of DU with a degree in Economics and Commerce. Currently completing her time as a research intern at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Surbhi is better known for her workshops on Canva and for helping students find their footing in the world of startups and entrepreneurship.

Ridhima Singh

Ridhima Singh, an LSR alumnus, co-wrote India’s first comic book on child rights. She has worked extensively in the field of social work through co-founding ImpactEd, a social leadership academy focused on enabling student changemakers, and UN Youth Action Hub India, which became the largest hub across 36 nations. They will be joining McKinsey and Company this year as a business analyst.

Aastha Mohapatra, First Opera Singer of Odisha

Aastha Mohapatra , alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, is the first opera singer from Odisha. They have devoted their life to the art form by performing and winning over 50 accolades in the field of opera. Their journey has been covered by reputed media channels like Odisha TV and Geo TV.

Priyanshi Chawrasiya, Content Creator

Priyanshi Chawrasiya is student of Gargi college. They are a content creator who use their platform to spread awareness about health and fitness. They have also worked with Media Monks as a chef and hand model on set for creating recipes for Cadbury.

Siddhi Joshi

Siddhi is currently the President of Global Youth Miranda House and is representing India in the Global Village on The Move Program by Lehigh University in collaboration with the US DOS and the American Council. An alumnus of the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program, she is a cultural exchange and social-impact activist. She has won the Dr. Kamala Prasad Pathak Memorial National Fellowship for Peace and Learning 2022 and Best Speaker and All-Rounder Award at the Global Peace Youth Summit. A certified tutor under the Global Competency Certificate by AFS India and Global Peace Institute, UK, she is an active social worker and conducts sessions for school students along with heading developmental projects. An award-winning poet and writer, her works have been featured in The Remnant Archive, Headcanon Magazine, The Pinnacle Palette, and others.

Shanya Das, Director of Writers Community Freelancers Private Limited

Shanya Das is a Gargi student who owns a company as a director named Writers Community Freelancers Private Limited, an indian freelance marketplace that supports freelancers to get freelance work opportunities. They are passionate about writing and have worked with many news sites as well.

Laqshay Gupta and Harivansh Gahlot, Founders of Baywise

Laqshay Gupta and Harivansh Gahlot are students from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies who have founded together a revolutionary startup called Baywise, an ed-tech startup created with the aim of providing students with the professional skills and advice they need to have successful careers. Baywise had featured on the social media handles of Bloombuzz, garnering a reach of 15000+.

Muskan Sabharwal and Kanika Chauhan, Started Social Alliance for Impact Research (SAIR)

Muskan Sabharwal and Kanika Chauhan are students from the College of Vocational Studies and Dyal Singh College respectively. Together, they have started the outstanding project of Social Alliance for Impact Research (SAIR), which aims to give every undergraduate student exposure in research and consulting irrespective of their course and college. SAIR continues to grow and build its community of pan-Indian students.

DU Beat would like to congratulate everyone who made it to the list. For the ones who didn’t, this list is not exhaustive. You are a star as well.

DU to Launch 18 New Courses in Upcoming Session

By DU Beat March 2, 2023

The University of Delhi is set to introduce 18 new courses from the academic session 2023-2024, announced DU VC Yogesh Singh on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. A five-year LLB program, 8 Medical Science Programs, and B.Tech programs are the highlights of these courses.

On February 28 2023, DU Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, announced that DU is set to launch 18 new courses beginning from the academic year 2023-24. The new decision will create room for several new, unprecedented courses at DU, including a five-year LLB program, MBA in Business Analytics, 8 Medical Science programs, and even B.Tech programs. Other programs for both UG and PG shall also be included in these 18 courses.

Emulating the five-year course structure of the National Law Universities, the inclusion of five-year integrated programs in LLB will now allow high school graduates to directly pursue law at the UG level from Delhi University. Besides LLB, the decision to expand DU’s course catalog to also include programs in Medical Sciences and Engineering is an implementation of a part of the New Education Policy. The aim is to enhance the quality and dissolve the erstwhile distinctions between streams and pave the way for diversity in education. The varsity has also mentioned BCA LLB and B.COM LLB as prospective add-on courses to this list.

“Students who enroll in the new programs will be able to benefit immensely from the rich quality of education imparted here and the curriculum will be interdisciplinary in nature. For instance, we already have the Faculty of Management Studies, and professors from there can teach certain papers of the BBA LLB program. Similarly, (the) law (course) includes papers of political science as well. There might be five different kinds of papers and the professor with the relevant specialization can teach the course.”

– A University of Delhi official

DU Registrar Vikas Gupta has stated that the varsity administration is still deliberating upon the possible avenues to implement this efficiently. It is working on a detailed framework designed to delineate the fundamentals of the admissions process for these courses. There is still no confirmation whether the admission to these courses will also traverse the prevailing CUET method or not. “It is still under the planning stage and we are trying to launch the programs by the next academic session”, he said.

Vidushi Sinha

AISA Organizes ‘Protest From Home’ Against Online Examination

All India Students Association (AISA) called for students to hold up placards and upload pictures online to protest against online exams.

As a continuation of the struggle against online Open Book Examination (OBE) for final year students, AISA conducted a ‘protest from home’ on 17 May 2020. The method of protest according to a press release by AISA was “students held placards at their homes, flats, hostels, PGs, etc and protested on social media using the hashtag #DURejectsOnlineExams and #DUAgainstOnlineExams.”

Students from 25 colleges across the University participated in the protest, which also included mass emailing to the Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Student’s Welfare, and Joint Controller of Examinations against online exams. The students took this protest to raise their grievances against online exams, calling it privileged and ableist. Some students pointed out that how out of place online exams are in a public university where students come from remote parts of India and all social backgrounds.

The Press Release also alludes to AISA’s 1500 student survey which found that more than 70% of these students will not be able to participate in online university practices. It ends with AISA’s resolve to continue the fight against online OBEs.

Damni Kain, one of the protestors and a member of AISA went to twitter to protest against online exams and also laying down several well thought points against online exams. She points out how results would “depend upon how lucky one is to have an internet connection working good enough at the point of exam.” She also points out that those who do not have good cameras will not be able to upload the answer script in a way that it is readable. She calls this move an “anti student move which snatches the opportunity to complete education for many.”
Feature Image Credits: AISA

Prabhanu Kumar Das

DUB News

Our Future is at Stake: DTU Students Against Online Exams

On 6th May, Delhi Technological University (DTU) announced that it will conduct the final semester examination of all programmes online and the dates will be announced later.

The notice also said that the university will conduct examinations through three modes – combined examination of subjective questions and multiple-choice questions; multiple-choice questions-based examination and case-study based examination. DTU has also introduced negative marking this semester, where each wrong answer will lead to deduction of marks.

It also issued a notice yesterday detailing the guidelines for grading students on their major research projects, also requiring final year students to publish their work in a reputed Scopus indexed journal. Most of the core branches of engineering involve hardware-based projects. The lockdown has made laboratories where those resources and readings are set-up inaccessible. This has resulted in students not being able to complete their projects. For those students who do not have the resources to appear for such an examination, the only alternative is to wait out till the university re-opens and then appear in the offline exams thereby leading them in gambling with their future prospects of jobs or higher education.

Projects that could be completed during the lockdown were wrapped up only recently. But, due to the coronavirus outbreak, most conferences have been deferred and foreign and Indian journals have suspended or postponed their review processes, making it difficult for students to get an acceptance. Moreover, it is mandatory as per university guidelines to make a hefty payment of thousands of rupees after receiving the acceptance.

A student further added: “Further, the stringent criteria is to only publish in a good quality Scopus or SCI or SCIE indexed journal, whereas even a good quality conference publication can only be awarded a maximum of nine out of 10 marks. The stringent condition of awarding of grade based solely on this parameter is extremely unjust to students.”

This has led to severe backlash from the student community, on the grounds of lack of access to the internet, academic resources and online infrastructure. Furthermore, the institution’s decision to introduce negative marking is abhorrent –in a time where students are going through mental, emotional and financial crises. The students wrote to the Vice-Chancellor, “The University had issued guidelines for conducting online exams. However, until now there has been no communication whatsoever on the dates of the examination nor the portal on which the exams will take place. Considering how this is a new platform for students and they need sufficient time to prepare for the exams as well as get accustomed to the platform, the time remaining for addressing these issues is extremely small. The decision of introducing negative marking in online exams is causing panic and distress to students considering how they are all final semester students and their entire careers depend upon these exams. The uncertainty in such a system is unprecedented and the students are completely in the dark regarding how various technical issues and glitches are going to be addressed by the university.” The students also wrote about their grievances to the Chief Minister and have started an online petition for the students to appeal against online exams.

A final year student from Jammu told Careers360, “I came to my home town much before lockdown on account of Holi break after my mid-semester examinations. I didn’t bring my books and laptop with me. Here in Jammu, I have connectivity issues and inadequate resources to complete my major project and appear for proposed online examinations.”

A final year student at DTU told DU Beat that the alternative given by the university is that if you do not want to give the exams, you must write to the administration to stop the online evaluation till an offline evaluation can be done. “But if the students go through this process, they won’t be able to sit for placements on zero days”, he added.

He further appealed to the DTU Student Association to get in touch with the administration who is drafting the curriculum advisory and guidelines to brainstorm on another alternative which solves the students’ grievances.

Feature Image Credits: Paridhi Puri for DU Beat

Feature Image Caption: DTU Student appeals against Online Exams on Facebook

Paridhi Puri

Arts & Culture

Cure.Fit Downsizes its Operations; Donates INR 5 Crores to PM Cares

Cure.fit, a Bengaluru-based wellness startup, has laid off hundreds of employees across its countrywide centres.

Across the startups’ 180+ centres in the Country, Cure.fit has laid off around 800 of its employees citing that some cost-cutting measures need to be taken due to disruptions in business in the current pandemic situation.

The company has been backed by celebrity endorsements which led to its immense popularity. The company has closed its operations in smaller towns and cities in India and UAE. Cure.fit also went on to open centres in Dubai not more than a year ago. The remaining staff will face salary cuts on different levels. According to a report, the founders endured a 100 percent salary cut along with 50 percent cut in the managers’ pay. The remaining employees will face about 20 to 30 percent salary cuts.

The authorities did not give the employees any warning and asked the staff to quit their respective jobs. They were given the option to choose either their 45 days’ pay or to consider May 1 as their last working day. Tejasvi, a student of Lady Shri Ram College opined: “Cure.fit’s downsizing does not seem to make sense because if they have 5 crores to donate, they surely have enough money to give full salaries to its employees as well.”

Founders of this startup established Cure.fit in 2016 that has financial backing from Temasek Holdings of Singapore. It was reported that the company spent huge amounts of money in getting Bollywood celebrities and star athletes on board for endorsements. In addition to this, Cure.fit donated INR 5 crores to PM Cares fund while overlooking the needs of its employees and putting them in jeopardy. Staff members of the organization have demanded that they should be compensated with salary of 6 months along with insurance.

A petition by the employees of the organisation surfaced on change.org seeking support for their cause so that the organization takes some action. The company raised INR 832 cores led by a Singapore’s investment company, Temasek. Cure.fit responded by stating that as many as 90 percent of the trainers are still associated with the company and employees that were laid off have been offered a severance package as well.

Feature Image Credits: Deccan Herald

Suhani Malhotra

Examination Blueprint for Students with Underlying Conditions

As the pandemic spreads and cases rise, the problem of keeping a functioning educational system has come to the forefront. Universities are now being faced with a unique challenge of whether or not to conduct the examinations in the traditional manner.

The University of Delhi (DU) has set up a committee to look into the possible scenario of conducting examinations whilst University of Mumbai (MU) has decided to conduct examinations for only the final year students for the time being.

The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi has asked universities to maintain and develop new forms of getting the business done. However, professors and students are opposing the idea of conducting online examination.

At the very foundational level, most students come from rural backgrounds and many do not have proper access to internet facilities which would put them in a tough spot.

This is a unique situation, one that needs a unique solution. The pandemic has exposed the limits of our educational system and brought in open the out-dated assessment system which seems to be completely depended on the last mile performance and final grades.

One issue that the committee and the authorities discussing the issues still seems to give a brush is the how will it be conducting examination for students with underlying conditions?

Neither the University nor the professors seem to mention anything about this critical situation. The University cannot assume that all students are healthy and have no medical issues whatsoever.

Students struggling with underlying conditions such as Asthma, Diabetes, Chronic diseases and other conditions cannot give the examinations with other students.

Such students need a completely different set of policy approach if the university does decide to conduct examination in a traditional manner.

The incubation period for COVID-19 is 14 days, in such a situation when students do travel back they would be under a suspicious category and might be a carrier of the disease and can pass it on to a student of the chronic underlying condition which would cause a life-threatening condition for such a student.

A student with an underlying condition cannot be made to sit in the same room with a crowd of other students.

The examination process should not put life at risk for a student with underlying conditions.

These issues need to be dealt with utmost care and caution and should form a part of the policy for the University.

The process of examination needs a revamp. What is happening today in the world is a first, and for us to deal with this crisis we will have to explore arenas that will be first of a kind.

At this hour, we cannot hide away in inconsistencies by the fear of unknown, but take the steps towards the uncharted roads which will give us our first window to a more nuanced and up-to-date system of evaluation and assessment.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

The author is Pragya Gautam, currently pursuing BA LLB from Law Faculty, Law Centre-1, University of Delhi.

Arts & Culture

Bullied, Bought, and Berated: The State of Opposition on Popular Demand

By DU Beat May 17, 2020

The current status of opposition in our country is extremely feeble, and it’s not a healthy sign for a democracy.

If not Modi, then who? This rhetoric, which doesn’t even qualify being called a question, is suggestive of a weak state of opposition in our country, which makes people elect terror accused and hate mongers for the sake of one person. However, this question was asked after the strategies aimed to weaken the opposition were set in motion which were relatively easier, owing to their lack of competency in the first place. But what made them touch a new low and cease their existence as an alternative altogether?

With a heavy PR marketing and ever famous IT cell, the propaganda was diluted very subtly. With huge corporate backups and resources, the opposition fell short drastically. A lack of better leadership and money as compared to the ruling party sowed seeds for cynicism against opposition. Very strategically accountability was shifted to opposition, everything started to go back to Nehru and Gandhi, and lost in this never-ending process were actual public concerns. Things were such that allegations were ensued of buying of opposition leaders in Karnataka. It’s shameful that the representatives of dissidents are thrashed so blatantly that dissidents would not want to associate themselves with such an embarrassment.

People might think why a popularly elected government with a heavy majority is problematic? Why is the opposition displeased with the works of the government aimed at national interest? Why do people speak ill of the ruling party? Well to answer that, we have to understand that democracy is not confined to a majority opinion. It’s inclusive of all the opinions by all of the people. If there’s representation of just one kind of view, it’s not sufficient. In a democracy we need to have counter opinions, checks and balances, and so far the onus of this was on opposition which has failed us and also been constructed to fail us, that we are now sinking.

Such a bereftness led to students, activists, satirists, and artists composing a voice of dissent as opposition. Although their cause is helpful for maintaining some counter opinions thus saving us from a site of an all majoritarian crisis, unless it’s not on the political grounds as oppositions, it would do no good.

A very basic definition of democracy taught us that it is of the people, by the people, and for the people. It’s time we see who these people are. Can you see yourself or can you see only yourself getting a representation?

Featured image credits: News 18

Umaima Khanam