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Need for Counsellors in Educational Institutions

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The following article addresses the lack of counsellors in educational institutions as well as the perils of untrained counselling.

Counselling isn’t a recent concept, nor is it restricted to any particular sphere of life. One may come across counsellors in hospitals, work places, sports complexes and many more fields. With time, the stigma against mental health too has been evaporating appreciably, encouraging more and more people to seek guidance and counselling. However, an area which significantly requires professional counsellors are educational institutions, be it schools or universities.

One’s personality starts developing very early during their childhood. In fact, the most formative years of a person are their childhood. With regard to academic pressure or the need for socialisation in school, every individual responds to their environment differently. Very often, as children, they tend to lack the ability to express their worries to other adults- basically parents and teachers, who may not entirely understand the gravity of their problems. A child requires a safe space to be comfortable and discuss what goes on in his or her life. With schools being the primary environment after their homes, counsellors in schools provide that safe space. It is not just young children but also particularly adolescents who require this outlet for venting their emotions.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had made it mandatory for all schools to have counsellors in faculty. However, a very small percentage of private schools actually follow this mandate. For obvious reasons, the situation in government schools is far worse. What is even more interesting is how, very often, schools appoint teachers in faculty with degrees in sociology to act like counsellors for students. Now, what they fail to recognise are the serious perils that untrained counselling can cause. Therapy or counselling is not an easy process. A counsellor’s job has a large impact on the lives of his or her patients. They may have pure intentions in mind but in practice, untrained counselling can adversely affect the mental health of vulnerable children for the worse.

Especially among adolescents of the current generation, Gen-Z, with growing impact of social media and societal expectations, the need to feel accepted and understood grows stronger. So often teenagers avoid therapy because of several reasons including lack of trust. It is in these situations where the skills of good teachers and counsellors play a vital role. Teachers in schools should be able to recognise and reach out to “troubled” students, allowing them to understand the severe need for counselling. A good counsellor establishes trust and a non-judgemental platform for venting feelings and learning to cope with them.

Moving on from schools, universities and colleges too are in a dire need for trained therapists. Most colleges, particularly government funded like the Delhi University, have student mental health societies at best. These societies work towards knowledge dissemination and often invite professionals for seminars. While the initiative is highly commendable, the lack of chronic professional help may leave the students helpless and hopeless.

While we have made efforts in establishing the seriousness of mental health among students particularly, it is high time we take action to provide spaces for these students to seek help as and when required. As famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, once quoted “in any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” Let us allow ourselves to take that step forward and not look back.

Featured Image Credits: Nami.org

Aditi Gutgutia

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Staffer at SOL Tests Positive for Coronavirus

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With coronavirus cases increasing daily in Delhi at an exponential rate, a staffer from the University of Delhi (DU)’s School of Open Learning (SOL) tests positive for the virus.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has been raging across India since March, 2020. With the country under an unprecedented lockdown and no end in the near sight coupled with the rise in cases, India currently has around 40,000 active cases with around 2000 people succumbing to the virus. With the virus still spreading after more than twomonths of lockdown in Delhi, one of the latest people to be infected with it is a staffer serving in Delhi University (DU).
The Staffer who works as an junior assistant-cum-typist in the School of Open Learning got tested positive for Corona Virus on 5 May 2020. It is suspected that he caught the disease after going to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a routine check up, one of the hospitals where majority of the fatalities of the deadly coronavirus have been reported.

After developing mild breathing problems, an early indicator of the virus, the staffer got himself tested at a private facility. After finding himself to be positive for Coronavirus, he reported himself to the authorities and has been quarantined at the Narela Quarantine Centre.

The man who was staying with his aged parents at the staff quarters in Dhaka, Northwest Delhi before being moved to the quarantine centre. His wife and children were away and the university and local authorities have been informed, with the staff quarters at Dhaka about the necessary precautions and safety of the inhabitants, and an immediate sanitization of the area for the same.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Arts & Culture

Bidding Adieu to the First Poster Boy of Indian Football

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Remembering and looking back on the career of one of the most important influences to early Indian Football and a celebrity in his own right, Subimal Goswami.

Subimal Goswami, known lovingly by his fans as Chuni Goswami was a first class cricketer for Bengal and played football for India and Mohun Bagan FC. We take a look back at his career in football, where he earned major accolades for himself and the country.

Born in British India on the 15th January 1938, in the Bengal provinces, Chuni Goswami had grown up around football, so it came as no surprise when he joined the Mohun Bagan junior team at the age of 8.  There are many things about the great man that can fill with awe, including his football ability, but the love that he had for Mohun Bagan and his country was beyond description. A one club man, he stayed on at Mohun Bagan from 1946 to 1968, even though it is rumoured that he was approached by Tottenham Hotspur and other foreign clubs at the peak of his career.

In his career with Mohun Bagan FC, where he mostly played as a striker or winger, he has won the Calcutta Football League, Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, and IFA Shield several times in his career. He also cemented himself further in Mohun Bagan legend by being their highest ever scorer in the Calcutta Football League with 145 goals.

 His exploits for the Indian National Team will always be on the echelons of Indian Football History, playing 50 international games and scoring 9 goals, a lot of games for the time when he was a player. He captained India to her first Asian Games Gold Medal in 1962, and two silver medals in the 1964 Asia Cup And the Merdeka Cup.

While his career as a cricketer is not so often talked about, he was an accomplished all rounder for the Bengal team. In his 46 first class matches, he scored 1592 runs including one century and seven fifties and took 47 wickets. He has reached the Ranji trophy final twice, and notably when the West Indies team toured India in 1966, he was part of the combined East and Central Zone team in a friendly, where he took 8 wickets and his team pulled off a shock victory.

After his sad demise on 30th April 2020, we look at his life as a source of inspiration, for fellow sportspersons and all of us in general. His loyalty to his country and his club were commendable, even with temptations of playing abroad. It is this passion for one’s country that makes his legacy shine, and makes those in Bengal, especially supporters of Mohun Bagan FC, now one of the biggest clubs in Indian Football still hold up his posters and sing his names, because he represents more than the first successful Indian footballer, he represents that success can be achieved without having to take the foreign route.

Featured Image Credits: The Hindu

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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DUB Speak

Why You Need a Break from Coronavirus News

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We are often told that the more one knows, the better. But we were never told that if we know too much, then that may result in information intoxication. To know more, scroll down.

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken the humankind. And as we all are locked away in our houses, most of us make sure that we check the news feed each and every day. Be it the count of new positive patients or the news of a sad demise, we want to know more about it as soon as possible.

However, amidst this sea of information, we often forget that we should not go in too deep or we drown. Infoxication or Information overload occurs when you have too much info about an issue which subsequently affects your mental functions and even decision making. So the time when you watched that primetime debate or the daily news bulletin and just felt frustrated afterword you were intoxicated.

Current research suggests that the surging volume of the available information—and its interruption of people’s work—can adversely affect not only personal well-being but also decision making, innovation, and productivity.

Pretty obviously the focus of this lockdown is the coronavirus pandemic and we as curious consumers consume all of the information about this pandemic. But this blind consumption leads to fear and not awareness. The 24/7 news coverage of these unprecedented events serves as an additional stressor, especially for individuals with pre-existing mental health problems.

There is a famous English proverb ‘to paint the devil on the wall’. It basically means to have or offer a negative view of a situation, often when it is excessive or unwarranted. This proverb perfectly describes the media coverage related to this pandemic, be it national or global. You can notice this negative coverage by the fact that many news channels and portals often do not show the number of cured patients but emphasise more on infected patients.

Such a flow of information has already caused a great deal of damage. Recently a man in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh committed suicide as soon as he was admitted to a quarantine facility. He hanged to his death in a fear that he was coronavirus positive. The despairing part of this incident was that the person’s report was negative. The deceased was so frightened about coronavirus that he could not even decide about his own life. Similar cases have come up in New Delhi, Greater Noida, Firozabad, etc.

Amidst this flow of information people, knowingly and unknowingly, also spread fake news. Here another Indian proverb, ‘Knowledge increases through sharing’ is at work. When we get to know a fact, we want to share it with as many people as we can. Thus, fake news also presents itself as another troublemaker in such a scenario.

So be it the rumour that vegetable vendors are licking the vegetables or the rumour about the government reducing 30% pension during the coronavirus, it all adds up to the painted devil on the wall becoming more and more terrorising.

It is a fact that everyone around the globe is concerned about the spread of this wretched virus. However, in reality, a lot of us have forgotten to draw a line between being scared and being aware. Being scared will lead us to spread fake news and consuming every bit of information which will result in infoxication as well as hysteria. On the contrary, if we accept the fact that this virus will be affecting us adversely and consume information that is relevant as well as trustworthy then at least we can prepare ourselves to fight this virus.

Try to give yourself a break from all the news related to coronavirus for some time, be it television or the internet or social media. Do not misjudge this as not caring about the hazardous pandemic and becoming careless about the needed precautions. Being informed is a must but being over-informed is a choice and a risk not worth taking.

“Sometimes a pessimist is only an optimist with extra information.” 

-Idries Shah, Reflections

 

Featured Image Credits: Getty Images

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Celebrating Tagore’s Vibrant Influence

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As we commemorate the great poet Rabindranath Tagore on his 159th birth anniversary, it is remarkable how his works, to the present day, resonate with the harsh truths of the world at large and the deepest desires of the heart. 

“My debts are large, my failures great, my shame secret and heavy; yet I come to ask for my good, I quake in fear lest my prayer be granted.”

Poem 28, Gitanjali (1912)

It is no shocker that Rabindranath Tagore, also known by his pen name Bhanu Singha Thakur, was one of the most exceptional literary laureates our world has been blessed with. A poet, novelist, musician, artist, educationist, social reformer, Ayurveda researcher; Tagore’s unparalleled brilliance earned him sobriquets like Gurudev, Kabiguru, and Biswakabi.

He has achieved many accolades in his lifetime – the most substantial being the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. He also has the distinction of the only person to have composed the national anthems of three countries – India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

His excellence is most reflected in his literary works that still amaze and entertain people of all ages and diverse walks of life. Children’s stories like Kabuliwala, The Rat’s Feast, The Invention of Shoes, The Parrot’s Training, and so on are delightful and amusing. On reading them one gets lost in the ‘fantastically real worlds’ of sparkling kings and queens, dusty lanes of the village and, swirly, narrow streets of the city.

As one gets older, the stories of Tarapada in Atithi, the poignant tale of Konkaal (The Skeleton), the unbridled attachment of Monimala to her gold jewels in Monihara (The Lost Jewels), the sweet romance in Daliya and many more; pluck those chords of the heart, which transpire the emotions one had been starved of in the hustle-bustle of life. In all of his stories, the way he knits the real face of the society with myths and legends is extraordinary.

Tagore is also highly admired for his portrayal of women in his stories. Set in the late 19th and early 20th-century pre-partitioned Bengal, the female characters are painted as courageous, defiant, and bold who direct the flow of their lives on their terms. In a conservative society, Tagore explores love and sexuality through ‘Binodini’ in Chokher Bali (A Grain of Sand), freeing one’s soul and desires from the shackles of family and responsibilities in Stir Patra (Wife’s letter), courage to discover oneself and fulfill dreams in the form of ‘Giribala’ in Maanbhanjan (Fury Appeased) and finding the meaning of life outside the bondages of an ideal member of the society through ‘Kalyani’ in Aparichita (The Unknown Woman).

Robi Thakur, as he is lovingly called by many of his admirers, was a poet first. The early influences of the artistic atmosphere in his house and his “favourite school” – nature; metamorphosed into beautiful verses of poetry. many of his poems were written as words for music and his book Gitabitan (“Garden of songs”), a collection of all 2,232 songs led to the genesis of a new genre of Bengali music known as ‘Rabindra Sangeet’.

A man of phenomenal literary and artistic accomplishments, Tagore has played a vital role in capturing the social, political, and artistic aura of India of his times. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote in Discovery of India, “More than any other Indian, he has helped to bring into harmony the ideals of the East and the West, and broadened the bases of Indian nationalism.”

Inspired by Vaishnava poets of medieval Bengal and the Bengali folk literature; the classical Indian heritage; and the modern European literary tradition, he took Bengali literature especially, to such great heights that his presence in Bengali social and cultural arena is undeniably manifested.

Buddhadeva Bose in ‘An Acre of Green Grass’ quoted, “The point is not that his writings run into a hundred thousand pages of print, covering every form and aspect of literature, though this matters: he is a source, a waterfall, flowing out in a hundred streams, a hundred rhythms, incessantly.”

Even after years of Robi Thakur leaving for heavenly abode, his artistic and aesthetic flair can still be experienced in his endearing poems, visionary stories, and other literary works, euphonious ‘Rabindra Sangeet’ and in the atoms of the peaceful neighbourhood of Shantiniketan.

May the flame of knowledge, love, humility, and spirituality kindled by him forever guide us all.

 

Featured Image Credits: Commons

Ipshika Ghosh

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Tears from the Lips: Remembering Irrfan

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When was the last time when a nation of fragmented opinions unanimously poured their emotions so genuine, so natural and so powerful. Well, it might strain your memory to reconcile until the demise of cinema’s greatest acumen Irrfan Khan moved an entire generation of cinephiles and more beyond. But, what made this man and his death not so trivial?

The world is a carnival of emotions and the celluloid is thus its biggest celebration. The silver screen has for long served as the recluse for all or most of our feelings, and its players inevitably become a part of our lives. The audience around the globe and our nation in particular adores its movie personalities, their influence caters to wider prospects and their presence ushers greater momentum. They feature on our walls and our device screens; our collective memories and pleasant dreams and cultivate our endeavors by endorsing them. But, dont these things cater to the conventional stars of visual grandeur-  those who feature in extravagant films with formulaic conventions, a stardom, a following and a fanbase of their own. While, it might be that we as a generation have evolved with our preferences and adjudication of cinema or perhaps, Irrfan superseded all of this to manifest a culture of a different kind, just as his roles, movies and nature.

On 29th April, the internet community rolled into sorrow as the social media feeds were flooded with feelings over the loss of our finest cinematic potential – Irrfan. Tributes, eulogies, nostalgia and prayers, he was all over, the 53 year old Irrfan was struggling with a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare cancer and hence left the world with his last performance in the March 2020 release ‘Angrezi Medium’. From juniors to contemporaries of film fraternities in Bollywood, Hollywood and Regional Films; composers to sports personalities and politicians, comedians to social media influencers; writers and scholars, everyone mourned the loss of this legendary persona. I found people who are generally technoverted and closeted in expression, remembering the man as if it was a personal loss, and hence it prompted me to discuss the various souls of this single shoulder, which embodied myriads of happiness, sorrow, catharsis, hope, belief, pain and reality as one.

The Pan India Icon

It isn’t surprising that a man who brought life to the character of Ashoke Ganguli in the Namesake as a first generation Bengali immigrant, uttered every word of Paan Singh in natural Chambali dialect. Umber Singh in Qissa cherishes every breath in Punjabi while Roohdaar haunts the streets of Kashmir with same vigour. Ranvijay Singh of Haasil resonates the North Indian political demography as Raj Batra of Hindi Medium does with regard to the typical Old Delhi shop-owner. Thomas in Mumbai Meri Jaan is the rare depiction of the South Indian vendor in the cinescape, and the same goes true for Saajan Fernandes who effortlessly anchors The Lunchbox as an about to retire widower in Mumbai. His last appearance as Keshav Bansal, a Marwari sweet shop-owner in Angrezi Medium marked the essence of his nativity in Rajasthan.

An Artist beyond Big Screen

Irrfan was more than a Bollywood actor, having done films like The Warrior, The Namesake, Inferno and Jurrasic World he is an established figure in Hollywood and has featured in Telugu and Bengali films as well and didn’t hesitate to involve in Short films like Road to Ladakh and The Bypass either. A trained dramatics student of National School of Drama, Irrfan was deeply involved in theatre and was a keen observer in theatre festivals even after gaining prominence. Irrfan started with television and went on to star in period dramas like Chandrakanta and Chanakya and hosted shows like Don and Mano Ya Na Mano. His iconic voice was more than enough to narrate films like Bajirao Mastani or dub over as Baloo in The Jungle Book.

Irrfan as an enthusiastic meme, which is popular with Indian Netizens. Image Credits: Imageflip
Irrfan as an enthusiastic meme, which is popular with Indian Netizens.
Image Credits: Imageflip

Irrfan didn’t stop here, he went on to feature in television commercials like 7 UP, Hutch, Syska. His every Bollywood Party song or Podcast with AIB and collaborations with FilterCopy has negated stereotypes and was an enthusiastic volunteer for a perennially popular meme content.

 

A Literature Enthusiast

Irrfan Khan with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Sahab Image Source: Thread Reader App
Irrfan Khan with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Sahab
Image Source: Thread Reader App

I often wonder how many mainstream icons of such engagements engross with literature or other arts, while the quest goes on forever with disappointments, many a times I do come across someone like Irrfan, who reads Om Prakash Valmiki’s ‘Thakur Ka Kuan’ so enthusiastically, and passionately pens his feeling to great Urdu Writer Shamsur Rahman Farooqi, admiring his ‘Kai Chand the Sare Aasmaan’ and his eagerness on making a film on the same.

A Devout Human

Among many reasons that prompted so many people from various walks to respond to the demise of this great actor was probably the humanitarian nature that was typical of Irrfan apart from being a brilliant actor. Attaining the stature he was endowed with Irrfan was humble in his approach, his confidants and acquaintances reminisce him as a person of natural instict who respected his work and humans, nature and creatures alike. He was a dedicated family man, who loved his wife and children.

Apart from being a volunteer for social causes. In 2015, the actor had visited Badanavalu, a village near Nanjangud, to support theatre personality and social activist Prasanna, who launched a movement to promote sustainable living, the actor spent night with the people of the movement and has continually supported causes for sustainable development and climate change.

Irrfan with Activist Prasanna Image Credits: Deccan Herald
Irrfan with Social Activist Prasanna
Image Credits: Deccan Herald

There might be many stars with social campaigning, a perfect rags to riches story, brilliant executioners in their own fields but there was something specific about this human, the man who will be cherished by generations for what he was and what he has left as his works.

Featured Image Credits: India Today

Faizan Salik

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The Misguided Portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ Community in Bollywood

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Owing to the Constitutional Amendment where Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was decriminalised  Bollywood is trying to be inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, have they really been able to?

The LGBTQIA+ community has been ridiculed in Bollywood for decades. Bollywood has been minting money by its dehumanizing depiction of the community. In a broader sense, the entire queer community in Bollywood is misinterpreted because of an actor or director’s notion of the community.

Bollywood movies based on LGBTQIA+ theme were released as early as the 1970s. The film, Badnam Basti, portrays a love triangle between a woman and two men. However, the film disappeared into oblivion shortly after it was released in the theatres. In 1996, Fire was condemned because of the movie’s ‘alien’ depiction of lesbianism that led to protests in many parts of the country.

The LGBTQIA+  representation in Bollywood has peculiar similarities in all its characters. All gay characters have been added to movies for comic relief. For instance, Suresh Menon’s gay character in Partner cracked double meaning jokes, was feminised to match every other gay character in Bollywood films. The Indian society has stigmatized the queer community, and by portraying LGBTQIA+ characters without substance, the chances of the community being ridiculed increase exponentially along with heightened homophobia in the society.

All gay characters are either dance instructors or fashion designers. Many professions have been gendered and this internalized gendering is clearly depicted in Bollywood films. Boman Irani’s character in Dostana is a fashion editor. These stereotypes are affirmed by society which leads to people forming wrong notions about several professions and the community as well.

Apart from a handful of movies, a gay couple in films consists of one partner being extremely feminine and the other partner plays a tough, macho character. The ‘feminine’ partner is seen dressed in ‘colours for women’ such as pink, purple or floral shirts.

Tejasvi, a student of Lady Shri Ram College opined, “Many people in the society refuse to accept the fact that same-sex relationships can be real and due to internalised homophobia, the movies that portray LGBTQIA+  characters having healthy relationships are often condemned. Bollywood has come a long way in terms of representation of the queer community, but it completely depends on the viewers and whether they are ready to accept the relevance of same-sex relationships.”

The coming-of-age web series and movies have taken into account the faulty depiction and stereotypical nature LGBTQ characters and have made an effort to correct these practices. These peculiarities have significantly reduced since the decriminalization of Section 377. Television shows such as Made in Heaven and Four More Shots Please have carefully addressed how the queer community in a country like India faces multiple issues. These shows did not portray its characters in the usual ways that the LGBTQIA+ community is portrayed. They made efforts to apprise the viewers about how bisexuality and homosexuality are absolutely normal and not unnatural unlike how they were portrayed in films earlier.

Ayushmann Khurana’s Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is being considered a milestone as it is Bollywood’s first gay romantic-comedy film. For many years, homosexuality has been denounced as a disease by many people in the country. The director Hitesh Kewalya made use of comedy to send out an extremely powerful message of societal acceptance of the community. The LGBTQIA+  community has been discriminated against for many years and with the Supreme Court’s ruling on decriminalization of Section 377, the director ensured that the viewers understand that same-sex relationships are as relevant as heterosexual relationships.

Feature Image Credits: Pinkvilla

Suhani Malhotra

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Campus Central

‘Bois Locker Room’ : A Student Instagram Group Objectifying Women with Vulgar Content

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On 3rd May, social media users of Instagram and Twitter exposed an Instagram group chat called ‘Bois Locker Room’ which contained boys from several Delhi NCR Schools objectifying women.

The group had boys aged around 16-18, who indulged in stalking and sharing pictures of womxn, including minors; passing vulgar comments, body shaming, and slut shaming. These men shared several nude pictures in the aforementioned group too. These chats have gone viral on Twitter and Instagram, and have made several people to speak out about the toxic misogynist culture perpetuated in schools by cis-het men.

Following are some of the chats from the group:

IMG-20200503-WA0048IMG-20200503-WA0052

[Trigger Warning: Slut Shaming, verbal abuse, rape ideation]

Following the expose of the group chat “Bois Locker Talk”, another group was formed namely “Jai ka skirt skrt gang” where the members of the former chat talked about damage control by threatening to injure everyone who put up a story. One of the members said, “I’m gonna make some calls and turn this shit around” while the rest talked about possible switching of accounts, deactivation and shocker – making a despotic group chat like this on Snapchat next time. Several Instagram accounts with usernames such as @boiislockerroom and @boys_locker_room69, amongst many others have been made and are serving as the revival of the previous group. The account holders are posting up stories blaming the attempt of the girls as merely an act to seek popularity and attention. The latter of the two, mentioned above has recently put up a story declaring, ”I have contacted the best lawyer in the city, AP Singh who was the defence lawyer of the four accused people in Nirbhaya case. He is ready to take up the case and assured that not even a single thing will happen.” he ended the story with asking the people to peace out.

Ashna Sharma, one of the first whistle blowers of this event told DU Beat, “I have honestly put everything out there. I genuinely have a lot of things to say but at this point I am so drained out. A lot of minors are involved and I don’t want to cause them or their reputation any harm. Nevertheless thank you for spreading this. These guys deserve to be exposed.”

Parth Vashisht, one of the former members of the Group Chat said, “Whatever was in the group was outright disgusting, it cannot be tolerated. However accusing someone falsely wasn’t the right thing. I’ve been receiving death threats too. As far as I know, the group wasn’t made to pass degrading comments on girls, it was just a normal group. I was not aware of this, and I believe the ones who are guilty should be punished.”

Students from several schools of Delhi NCR have rightfully condemned this incident, those who personally knew the boys and went to the same school as them have expressed shock, disgust and despair. Many of the group chat members hailed from the erstwhile prestigious schools of India – and students have come forward and identified them as their juniors, seniors and batchmates. Several of them  were pass outs of these schools.

One of the victims, told about Tushar Rijhwani, an active participant of the group, “It gives me extreme pain to announce that I have been in a relationship with Tushar; during my entire tenure of dating him for an year, he has emotionally manipulated me and has shown my private pictures to his friends. After 12th boards, which is usually a time for students to enjoy and celebrate, I was in a major depression because of him.” She further said,”He used to talk a lot of ill stuff about his parents and mother, now I feel a boy who can not respect his own mother, how can we expect him to respect other women.” She further pointed out that she thinks he is in need of professional help as she spoke about certain incidents where he behaved abnormally.

A member of the group chat posted on Instagram story, “I just want to say that I realize the gravity of my mistake and I’m in no position to defend myself in any way. I take full responsibility for my actions. I would like to publicly apologize to every single person, especially all the women I’ve angered. I know we do not deserve this, but please I beg you to not take any further actions as it would be detrimental for us.” One of the admins of the Group Chat posted on his private Instagram account, “Such incidents are supposed to make us become aware of our acts, and not to do it again. I saw my best friends leave, I had panic attacks, anxiety, self loathing and suicidal thoughts. The only way forward is to accept what happened, own up to it and apologize. I will make sure that I, and my friends in the group never repeat such behaviour. We are still fresh out of school and have a whole life ahead of us that would be affected by some stupid testosterone fuelled decisions.” DU Beat reached out for a comment from both, but have received none so far.

According to News18, this issue has been taken up with lawyers as well as security agencies. Following the outrage, Shubham Singh, a cyber cell investigator who is on Instagram under the name @Shubhamcybercop started an investigation and managed to find the contact information of some of the members and admin of the groups in question. As per latest updates, some members of the group have been arrested under Section 66A of the IT Act for cyber bullying. The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the authorities of Instagram and Delhi Police asking them to provide the names, Insta handles, Email-Ids, IP addresses, locations and further details of the accused boys, by 8th May, so that a proper action can be  sought against each. “This is a very serious matter wherein an open media platform is being used for illegal activities. In view of the same the commission has instituted an enquiry into the matter”, the official notice comprised.

‘Boys locker room’ and the other parallel online groups like these are just a manifestation of the toxic savarna cis-het culture of Indian schools, that glorify abuse of power by men. There is a vagrant display of toxic masculinity and inherent misogyny in various forms across social media, something which is glorified. Films, songs, and pop culture propagate the objectification of womxn in all spheres. This particular instance is a reflection of the hegemony of ‘privileged’ schools which often protects these boys while promoting a culture unsafe for womxn, offline and online. The ‘boys will be boys’ mentality needs to end, all of them should be held accountable for their actions.

However, according to recent updates, Delhi Police has identified all the members present in the group and will be examined by the Delhi Police Cyber Hub.
Featured Image Credits: The Vice

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Postponed Olympics: A Blessing In Disguise For Indian Athletes?

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While the decision to postpone the Olympics posed a headache for many athletes, there were a few silver linings, especially in the Indian camp.

1940. 1944. Since their modern inception in 1896, the Olympic Games have only been cancelled three times in history. This fact helps us gauge the magnitude and significance of the International Olympic Committee’s decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to next year due to the coronavirus induced global standstill. Besides the three cancellations, this is the first ever instance of a postponement. Evidently, we find ourselves in a once-in-a-lifetime situation, though not a very pleasant one.

For athletes who had been preparing their bodies – following strict diets and rigorous training cycles – under a tight structured schedule to ensure they hit peak form in the summer of 2020, the announcement of the postponement, that too with only a few months to go, certainly would have produced cries of disappointment and frustration. In sports, time is paramount. One whole year can make a significant amount of difference. Most athletes are only ever fully at their peak for a very short period of time in their career. And since the Olympics are held after every four years, athletes don’t get many shots at glory. With medals being decided in milliseconds and millimetres, the margin of error is extremely small and not being in peak condition means no medal. 

From a financial point of view, Japanese economists estimated the economic damage of postponing the Games to be more than 600 billion Japanese yen. The postponement shall cost the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) an estimated 1.2 billion American dollars in advertisement revenue. As is evident, a large chunk of stakeholders are at the receiving end of the postponement. However, for some Indian athletes, the decision, even if imposed under unfortunate circumstances, has been a blessing in disguise.

Take for instance, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Chopra is a Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medallist and a junior world record holder in his sport with his exploits frequently prompting the media in the past two years to label him as the brightest prospect to end India’s drought in athletics at the Olympics. But due to an injury, Chopra had to undergo a surgery on his elbow, forcing him to miss the complete sporting calendar in 2019. He only got back to action in January 2020 and while he did produce a good performance, it’s not possible to be at one’s best a few months after being out of action for a whole year. Thus the postponement couldn’t have come at a better time for Chopra as now he’s been “gifted” with another whole year to recuperate and reach his peak. Chopra told Reuters, “I had found very little time to work on my technique as I was concentrating more on rehab. I didn’t have much time to work on my throws as I started very late. Now I will try to solve the problems that I have noticed.”

Additional Image 1_Neeraj Chopra

Image Credits: India Today

Image Caption: Neeraj Chopra seen mid run-up

In another case not largely different from Chopra’s situation, Jinson Johnson, a middle-distance runner and an Asian Games gold medallist, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in 2019 and was still under recuperation at the start of 2020, in a race against time to recover, qualify and compete in the Olympics. “Earlier, the qualification was going to end in June. So I tried to rush through my rehab a little. It was a situation where I had to have enough rehab time and have enough track time. There was a worry that I wouldn’t get enough rehab time,” said Johnson in an interview with The Indian Express. But with the postponement, he receives opportunity to get back into perfect shape and plan his way back into contention next year.

Additional Image 2_Jinson Johnson

Image Credits: India Today

Image Caption: Jinson Johnson after breaking the national 1500m record

India’s medal count has been consistently dismal, with the highest tally till date being only six (2012 London Olympics). The country sent a contingent of over a hundred athletes to the 2016 Rio Olympics and returned with only two medals. To give a fair idea of the disparity, Georgia, a country with a population barely touching 3 million, which is five times less than that of Delhi, returned from the same Olympics with 11 medals. 

Indian athletes certainly leave a lot to be desired with their performances. While it would be wrong to say that they don’t work hard, they do tend to come up short against their foreign counterparts for various wide-ranging reasons, from lack of finances for purchasing world-class training equipment to the rigorous military grade preparations of their opponents. Many are already at a disadvantage before the competition even starts. The postponement shall surely give the athletes in the Indian camp more time to train better and plot and plan their way to the podium.

Fouaad Mirza, equestrian and an Asian Games silver medallist, told the Press Trust Of India that the postponement was a “blessing in disguise” as it gives him and his horse “more time for some much-needed preparations”. 

 

“From a practical point of view, India were surely the underdogs. No one really expected us to pose any serious challenges, except in some events where veterans were scheduled to participate. And true, this would just have been another Olympics and another dismal show. But now it’s not really a “normal” edition. The event has been pushed back by a year and all plans of competitors have gone haywire. Under such abnormal and unusual circumstances, I would say we have an outside chance to strike the pot of gold.” opined a University Of Delhi student, on the condition of anonymity.

It’s good to bear a competitive spirit, but while being at it, we should keep in mind the sombre atmosphere prevalent across the world currently and not forget the actual reason which forced the postponement of the Olympics in the first place. Whether or not the postponement was a blessing in disguise for the Indian Olympic camp shall only be fully ascertained after the event happens next year. Till then, we can only hope that the pandemic doesn’t push the Tokyo Olympics further back, into oblivion.

Araba Kongbam

[email protected]

Feature Image Credits: Outlook India

 

 

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Arts & Culture

The Celebrity Turf: Who Walked upon 2019-20

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Here’s taking a look back at all the celebrity appearances to close off the session 2019-20. From politicians, to musicians, DU Beat presents to you celebrity highlights of the year. 

 

DUSU ELECTIONS 2019, NSUI INDIA

1. Shashi Tharoor interacts with students on the eve of DUSU Elections

ShashiTharoor_RishabhGogoi

The NSUI along with Kerala Students Union on the occasion of the DUSU Elections 2019, organised a student interaction session with Dr. Shashi Tharoor on 4th September. Several questions were asked to Dr. Tharoor and he dealt with every question patiently. He also talked about demonetization, National Register of Citizens (NRC) Bill, and the Kashmir issue. Dr. Shashi Tharoor concluded the session by giving some advice to the students. He told them to not compete with others but with themselves; and that failure was a part of life, that without it there was no success.

 

 

INDIAN YOUTH CONCLAVE, DILLI HAAT, JANAKPURI

1. Workshop with ‘Little Things’ Star Dhruv Sehgal

Dhruv Sehgal_Hitesh

Rose to fame from Filter Copy and Little Things, actor and writer Dhruv Sehgal conducted a workshop on creative writing at Indian Youth Conclave on 31st August 2019, which helped the aspiring writers to ace writing skills. He stressed on making observations which are free of cost, how everyone has a story, and how the blank pages are the best instrument for writers. Dhruv also highlighted the diversified and stark competition in the web series business, and insisted on the importance of following the rules which flourish creativity as opposed to the millennial’s obsession of breaking them.

 

 

RENDEZVOUS’19, IIT DELHI

 1. The Trinity of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy at Rendezvous

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The famous Indian musical trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy performed magnificently at Rendezvous: The annual cultural festival of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) on 2nd October 2019. The trinity which completed 20 years in the industry interacted with the audience and made them groove at their beats and rhythms. They performed their classical hits such as Locha-e-ulfat, Mitwa, and Dil Chahta Hai which made the audience take a trip to nostalgia of the 2000s. Saving the best for the last, the trio concluded their performance with  Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani and Breathless.

 

2.  Moonwalk Magicians MJ5 at Rendezvous

MJ5_Surbhit

The winner of India’s Dancing Superstar- MJ5 gave a riveting performance at day two- on 3rd October 2019 at Rendezvous: The annual cultural festival of IIT Delhi. The boy dance group is famous for its unique variations, formed from the inspiration of the famous pop icon Michael Jackson. The record holder group enthralled the audience with their beautiful synchronisation and smooth moonwalks. They also engaged with the crowd and got them grooving along with their performance. They put together a series of classic Michael Jackson steps along with some famous bollywood mixes for the audience to be entertained.

 

3. Amit Trivedi Steals The Night At Rendezvous

Amittrivedi_Surbhit

Singer, composer and lyricist, Amit Trivedi performed on 5th October 2019, the fourth and final day of Rendezvous at IIT Delhi, with his team consisting of Meghna Mishra who sang in Secret Superstar, and others. He swooned the audience with his majestic compositions from Udta Punjab, Manmarzyaan, Andhadhun, Dear Zindagi, and others. The audience was bewitched at the Coke Studio renditions of Chaudhary and Badri Badariya by the singer and his team. The mesmerising synchronisation of the harmony of the artists brought the night to an end in a way which was a memorable experience.

 

4. Laxmi Agarwal Gets Candid at Rendezvous

LaxmiAggarwal_Vaibhav

Acid attack survivor and a campaigner for rights, Laxmi Agarwal spoke candidly at Rendezvous at an event called FAIL. This was initially conceptualised in MIT, but had a desi side to it by having successful Indian speakers- talking about their failures in life. Laxmi was the first speaker and she had her audience hooked to her, for her life story was captivating. She told about her journey candidly: How she was spewed with acid at the age of 15, and how she came out of that as a warrior. She has started a campaign called Save Sale Acid, and has never looked back in her life.

 

5.  Rajat Sharma Engages at Rendezvous

RajatSharma_Bhagyashree

Chairman and Editor-in-chief at India TV, Rajat Sharma spoke at the event FAIL in which successful people share their failure stories. The Aap Ki Adalat host addressed the public in a different manner than other speakers and had a lot of interactive dialogues with them. The journalist also asked a lot of questions to the audience to keep them engaged, and shared his life story with them. His speech concluded his life journey and left the audience inspired.

 

6. Poetic Mehfil By Kumar Vishwas At Rendezvous

Kumarvishwaas_Surbhit

Poet and politician Kumar Vishwas won hearts on day three- 4th October 2019, of the annual cultural fest of IIT Delhi: Rendezvous. The poet recited a series of poems having a satirical hint to it and took jabs at the government during his show. He performed his ever famous poem Koi Deewana Kehta Hai and Ek Pagli Ladki Ke Bin which had the audience hooked from the charm of his endearing and mesmerising poetry recitals. 

 

 

ANTARAGNI’19, IIT KANPUR

1.DJ Trinity Rocks At Antaragni’19

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DJ Gian Nobilee, DJ Bonka, and DJ Ravator gave a rocking performance at Antaragni’19, the annual cultural festival of IIT Kanpur on the opening day- 17th October 2019. The EDM artists who have names around the globe, pounded the campus with some hard beats. His Italian music inclination, featuring live energy and electronic music had the crowd grooving to his amazing beats. The popular remixes by the DJ trio was the highlight of their performance and was much awaited by their fans.

 

2. Jab ‘Chai Met Toast’ Met Antaragni’s Crowd 

ChaiMetToast_Surbhit

Performance by the celebrated Indie pop band-When Chai Met Toast at Antaragni, IIT Kanpur, left everyone mesmerised. The young band, which hails from Kochi is known for mixing sounds from across East and West. The uniqueness in their style was reciprocated by a huge fanbase in the crowd. With their tracks like ‘Firefly’ and ‘Believe,’ they made the crowd intoxicated and thrilled with their music which had made a soulful connection with them.

 

3. Rap Hustle At Antaragni’19

IMG_4094Raga_HiteshSlowCheeta_HiteshSpitfire_Hitesh

At IIT Kanpur’s annual cultural festival Antaragni, took place the Rap Hustle between famous Indian hustlers like Kaam Bhari, Spitfire and SlowCheetah. The talented rappers jammed with the audience and had them awestruck with their rhymes and lyrics. Loud cheer followed every hard hitting lyric and their beats dropped with applause and charged up reactions. The arena was filled up to its brim, and so was the excitement among the attendees at the festival who enjoyed every bit of the battle.

 

4. Karunesh Talwar’s Hilarious Monologue At IIT Kanpur

KaruneshTalwar_Surbhit

The annual festival of IIT Kanpur- Antaragni, included a hilarious performance by the acclaimed Indian stand-up comic, Karunesh Talwar. The creator of stand-up specials like, ‘Paka Mat Na Mote’ and ‘Pata Nahi Par Bolna Hai’ made the audience break into laughter and giggles throughout his performance. The former member of the popular comedy group AIB, delivered the whole crowd some hysterical jokes and anecdotal stories which had the crowd side splitting. The comedian with his perfect timing had his audience cracking up the entire time.

 

5. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Trio Closes Antaragni’19

ShankarEhsaanLoy_Hitesh

The highly acclaimed musical trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in their own magical way, closed Antaragni- the annual cultural festival of IIT Kanpur on day four- 20th October 2019, with their strong, energetic, and eclectic performance.  As expected, the performance saw an overwhelming crowd and an exhilarating performance by the band, which had everyone rooting for them throughout. The band played a host of their famous tracks and the audience danced to the tunes of their famous songs including Sajdaa, Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe, Pretty Woman, Zinda and Gallan Goodiyan.

 

 

OASIS’19, BITS PILANI

1. Prominent Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali Talks At Oasis’19

Imtiaz Ali_RishabhGogoi

The 49th edition of BITS Pilani’s flagship cultural festival, Oasis, held huge and star-studded events, and on 20th October 2019, saw the inauguration of the BITS film festival by Highway and Rockstar-director Imtiaz Ali. The director known for his work at redefining modern love in contemporary times had everyone transfixed when he communicated with them. Ali talked in detail and depth about his experiences with Oasis and reminisced about his student days. He also talked about handling rejections, among other matters which waved a sense of positivity in the atmosphere.

 

2. Sunidhi Chauhan Wins Hearts At Oasis’19

Sunidhi_RishabhGogoi

Sunidhi Chauhan, the queen of power ballads in Bollywood, gave the audience at BITS Pilani a whiff of nostalgia as she performed her classic songs from the 2000s and 2010s. Her performance drove the crowd to pure madness as she and her team of harmonized and whipped out their best moves together. Their synchronisation was top notch. The entire crowd danced all night and just  couldn’t have enough of the singing diva.

 

3. Nucleya Hits EDM At Oasis’19

Nucleya_RishabhGogoi

The EDM sensation of India-Nucleya, arrived at the BITS’19 cultural festival-Oasis, to give a powerful performance. Along with his desi brand of dubstep which is a major aspect of making his performance lively, were the trippy, random, and vintage Bollywood inspired visuals playing on the colossal stage screens. The credit for these designs goes to the EDM Maestro Nucleya’s frequent designer, Diprav Jadhav. With tracks from acclaimed albums like Raja Baja and Bass Rani, the DJ gave a splendid performance and be it the track Heer or Laung Gawacha, the crowd absolutely loved him.

 

4. BITS Brings Biswa To Perform At Oasis’19

Biswa_RishabhGogoi

The hilarious stand-up comic Biswa Kalyan Rath performed on the last day of the festival Oasis at BITS Pilani. The house was filled to its brim with spectators even occupying the floors. ‘Mast Aadmi‘- Biswa went on with his banter on engineering students, Indian civic sense, and other matters, leaving the audience in fits of laughter. The engineer turned comedian has not only come up with stand-up specials like ‘In Your Face’ and ‘Sushi,’ but also has created the web series ‘Lakhon Mein Ek’ that showcase the dark realities of our society.

 

 

SYMPHONY’20, JANKI DEVI MEMORIAL COLLEGE

1. Jass Manak Gives a Sweet-sounding Performance

Jassmanak_Hitesh

Jass Manak, a famous singer-songwriter, performed at Symphony, the annual cultural fest of Janki Devi Memorial College on the 10th  January 2020. His fans welcomed him on stage with posters and portraits. The audience was riveted by the Punjabi singer’s performance as he made everyone in the audience sync their steps with songs like Lehenga, Prada, Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Viah and many other Bollywood songs. The students of Janki Devi Memorial College were seen holding banners to stand against violence in educational institutions which was the theme of Symphony 2020. 

 

 

BUSINESS CONCLAVE’20, SHRI RAM COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

1. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Speaks about Women Empowerment

HarsimratKaur_Anukriti

Member of Parliament, Bhatinda, and Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing, Harsimrat Kaur Badal gave a speech on the empowerment of women and their rights on February 12th. She talked about the struggles she had to endure to be where she is today along with the struggles of many other brave women fighting for education. She pointed out how the majority of women in India are married against their wishes. She also took a minute to talk about her journey with Nanhi Chhaan movement to help women in Punjab.

 

2. Cast of College Romance Enlightens Everyone at Business Conclave

CastOfCollegeRomance_Rishab

Three actors from the cast of web series ‘College Romance’ namely Shreya Mehta, Gagan Arora and Keshav Sadhna were a part of the YouTubers’ Panel at Business Conclave 2020. The actors discussed how YouTube is an extremely welcoming platform for aspiring content creators. They also pointed out the importance of originality and how relatable content gets noticed relatively more quickly. After the discussion ended, the audience asked several questions from the panelists such as the progress of season 2 of College Romance. On being asked about their political views, the three actors took a pass and politely asked the mediator of the panel to not bring politics into the picture. 

 

3. Comedian Aakash Gupta Gives a Hilarious Monologue

AakashGupta compress

Aakash Gupta, the winner of Comicstaan season 2, enchanted the audience with his wit and sarcasm on 13th February. The gymnasium of Shri Ram College of Commerce roared with laughter on account of Aakash Gupta’s hilarious imitations of people sneezing and laughing in the most unusual ways. He left the audience hooting with laughter as he went on to explain his crazy escapades in Delhi. Day two came to an end with the audience dying with laughter and it was a day full of entertainment.

 

4. Gautam Gambhir Gives a Noteworthy Speech at Business Conclave

GautamGambhir_Mayank

Gautam Gambhir, an ex-cricketer turned politician, talked about his journey in the field of politics and addressed the audience about Bharatiya Janata Party’s  (BJP) recent defeat in Delhi Assembly Elections despite the party’s innumerable attempts to win the elections. He stated that no politician should ever be thanked for it is the duty of a politician to help the masses. The Padma Shree Awardee also pointed out the importance of self-motivation. He apprised the audience about his accountability to not just his constituency but all other constituencies that his party contested for.

 

5. Kapil Sharma Apprises the Audience at SRCC

KapilSharma_Surbhit

Kapil Sharma, a prominent comedian in the television industry engages with the audience at Business Conclave on 14th February. In his speech, he stressed on the importance of writing part of a show and how the plot is among the most important factors that contribute to the success of a show. While giving the speech, he was reminded of his own college days in Amritsar. The comedian turned actor was also a part of his college theatre group which led him to pursue his dreams that later turned into a reality. The panel ended with a bunch of zealous students jamming on stage with Kapil on a rap song

 

6. Prajakta Koli Distinctly Converses with the Audience

PrajaktaKoli_Mayank

Prajakta Koli, a renowned content creator and YouTuber who goes by the name of ‘Mostly Sane’, was welcomed on stage. She began to talk about her experiments with different fields and trying her hands on various careers. She started off as a radio intern and later explored content creation which worked out extremely well for her. She went on to become one of the most famous YouTubers in India. She mentioned that she was in collaboration with Lily Singh who is better known as the Superwoman. She described an indescribable moment of her life which was having tea with Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the US. She also highlighted problems in her career as such YouTube censorship. The audience was given a chance to interact with her and on special request, she enacted her character Montu for all her fans in the audience.

 

7. Kapil Sibbal Engages with the Audience at Business Conclave

KapilSibbal_Surbhit

KapilSibal, a renowned politician of the Indian National Congress and a Member of Parliament began his speech by mentioning how his family came to India after the Partition. He shed light upon the importance of freedom of the youth and the education system which seemed to have innumerable downsides. The Rajya Sabha MP also claimed that on the orders of the NDA government, educational institutions were ruthlessly ransacked where students were attacked. He could not stress enough on the importance of expression of dissent in a democratic country. He was hopeful about the country electing better leaders and better vice-chancellors of universities.

 

 

RHAPSODY’20, MAITREYI COLLEGE

1. Darshan Raval’s Exuberant Performance at Rhapsody’20

DarshanRaval_Gyanarjun

The students of Delhi University were enthralled by Darshan Rawal’s performance on the 21st of January at Rhapsody, the annual cultural fest of Maitreyi College. Despite the strict entry procedure, Maitreyi College resonated with Darshan Raval’s captivating voice. He started off with a few romantic songs and later went on to sing party songs like ‘Kamariya’ and ‘Chogada’ to make his zealous audience dance. The 25-year-old singer also dedicated songs to boys in the audience. He also gave challenged everyone in the audience to match the steps of his team. However, Darshan’s energy was unmatchable and his power-packed performance made Rhapsody’20 a memorable one.

 

 

ONE PLUS COMEDY NIGHT, SHAHEED SUKHDEV COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDIES

1. Rahul Subramanian Performs a stand-up at One Plus Comedy Night

RahulSubramanium_Hitesh

Stand-up comic Rahul Subramanian performed at the pre event of the cultural fest of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies- Crescendo in association with One Plus on 25th January 2020. Amidst skepticism of cancellation, the show took place and Subramanian showed up casually with minimal efforts in appearance, and performed a spoof of his Amazon prime show ‘Kal Main Udega.’ He made jokes about DJs and how his life was as a  management student in Greater Noida. He also interacted with the audience for most of the time and did improvisations.

 

 

UDGAM’20, RAMJAS COLLEGE

1. Fusion band Pakshee grooves in Udgam at Ramjas College

Pakshee_Manav

Ramjas College celebrated its annual cultural fest, ‘Udgam’ that was collectively organised by the college’s five cultural societies. The highlight of the fest was the performance by Pakshee, a Hindustani and Carnatic fusion band on 27th February. The performance by the band was electrifying and the students loved the unique beats of the band. The band members themselves were thrilled to see such an excited audience. With the band’s performance, the fest culminated. The performance was enjoyed by over 200 students that attended the ‘Star Night’.

 

 

NEXUS’20, SRI VENKATESWARA COLLEGE

1. The Yellow Diary Rocks The Evening At Nexus

TheYellowDiary_Janesh

One of the best indie bands: The Yellow Diary performed at the inaugural day of Nexus- the annual cultural festival of Sri Venkateswara College on 28th February 2020. They had the audience captivated by their fusion rock music and soothing synchronisation of Rajan Batra’s voice with instruments of the band. They uplifted the crowd with their performance of popular songs like Rab Rakha, Marz, and Tere Jaisa Hor Dissa among others. They saved the best for last and sang Kashmir which was much awaited by the fans. The band also distributed free T-shirts to some fans at the end of the show.

 

2. Ankit Tiwari Gives a Dazzling Performance at Nexus

AnkitTiwari_Manav

The singer, music director and composer, Ankit Tiwari enthralled the audience at Nexus- the annual cultural festival of Sri Venkateswara College on 29th February 2020. Even in the midst of intermittent raining and delay the crowd was large and awaited the presence of this bollywood singer. Tiwari sang Bollywood blues and got the audience to sway especially when he sang his USP song of Aashiqui-2, Sun Raha Hai Na Tu. The singer also invited students to join him and sing on the stage and the vibe was celebratory.

 

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

Image Credits: DU Beat

Umaima Khanam 

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Suhani Malhotra 

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Aniket Singh Chauhan 

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Avni Dhawan

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