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While taking a stroll around a locality or a campus, we generally look around for a food joint or a daily needs shops, but we sometimes ignore the shops with posters of Zayn Malik, Justin Bieber, David Beckham or Honey Singh.

Being an Indian man, I was told from my childhood that men are always supposed to have short hair. The situation has changed, and Indian men are now more concerned about their hairstyles, evident from them checking it out every other minute or just being concerned about how their hair looks every second of the day. Whether you are going for a classic side part or a crazy hairstyle, hair needs constant maintenance and the occasional touch of an expert. There are Barbershops that can give you a haircut for as cheap as 50 INR, but very few actually choose these kinds of places, maybe because these are for men only or because they might not be as good as a ‘Professional Salon’.

Here are some tips for you to get an amazing haircut, even from a barbershop!

  • Keep realistic photos of yourself handy

Most of the barbers that you will encounter possess the same, or even better skill set as compared to your so-called “professionals”. They might not be accustomed to the terms that you might use like mohawk, sideburn, step cut etc. but they do have the potential to execute them. Keep a photo of the haircut you desire handy and even better if you keep a realistic photo of yourself and not a google one because it would help with their understanding of the photos are provided in multiple angles.

Young Indian barber in his barbershop cutting a boys hair, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Image Caption: Young Indian barber in his barbershop cutting a boys hair, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India  Image Credits: BBC
  • Talk to him with patience

Local barbers are used to attending customers that don’t really know what they want and just want the job done fast. That’s why they don’t discuss the haircut and discuss other random topics like politics or neighbourhood gossip. If you just ask them to wait before the haircut and explain to them exactly what you want, there would be no communication gap and you would get the desired results. If you leave the things in their hand, you might not get the desired results, because their understanding of a desirable haircut might be different than yours

  • Zyaada chhote mat kaatna (Do not cut it too short)

Coming back to the type of customers they are used to attending, barbers are used to cutting hair really short. The simple solution is to tell them not to do so!

Image Credits:
Image Credits: Athanasios Papadopoulo
  • More expectations, more disappointment

At last, don’t expect your first experience with a local barber to go so great, it might take some time for them to get used to your needs and it might take some time for you to get used to communicating or choosing the better one from your locality but it is worth the effort for all the money and hassle you save! Also, Local barbers do not really use a lot of products and just keep the process simple, so it is beneficial for your hair as well!

Good Luck!

Featured Image Credits: Pinterest

Akshat Arora

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On 15th December, Delhi Police was seen open firing at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) students protesting against the CAA. 

This came after the JMI students were accused of setting four buses on fire as a means of protest. However, in a statement, the Jamia Students and Alumni Association clarified that the violent protests were organized by the people living in the area.  “The university has already declared winter vacation and postponed semester examination after 13 December incident. A large number of students staying in hostels have already left and the Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar appealed to the students to maintain peace,” said the association. 

The police open fired from the JMI University gate at the unarmed students inside. Videos also surfaced where the Delhi Police could be seen firing and lathi charging at the protesters near the New Friends Colony. 

The police then entered the campus forcefully and trashed the library and the mosque with tear gas attacks. 

Waseem Ahmad Khan the Chief Proctor of Jamia Milia Islamia University said in his statement, “Police have entered the campus by force, no permission was given. Our staff and students are being beaten up and forced to leave the campus.”

“The police entered the campus and was violent towards the students. They attacked us with tear gas and the students had to hide inside the library campus… some of the students have hurt their heads and other body parts. There is no medical facility currently available here” said Saimon Farooqi, National Secretary of NSUI.

In another video recording, a student could be heard saying; “reading hall mein ghuske sheeshe todd ke tear gas chodd rahe hain. Hum sab log lights off karke chhupe huye hain yaha pe (they are deploying tear gas after breaking the windows in the reading hall. We are all hiding after shutting off the lights) ”

Videos of police brutality surfaced online where students were seen unconscious amidst the rubble in the aftermath. In a video, students could be seen hiding and blocking the room from the Policemen outside. In another video, a man named Mohammad Taneem, admitted in Holy Family Hospital, could be seen with a bullet wound on his leg. It has been speculated that  Shakir, a student of JMI, also passed away due to the attack with rumors of two other unconfirmed deaths also circulating.

The students were then given a window of an hour to leave the campus safely.

The Delhi Police, however, said that the situation is under control at Jamia university. “It was a violent mob, some of them were detained.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said to PTI, “four buses and two police vehicles were torched during the protest, adding six policemen were also injured. Stones were pelted from inside the varsity at police personnel, forcing them to use teargas to disperse the violent mob.”

Saurav Ghosh, General Secretary of All India Democratic Students’ Organisation (AIDSO), issued the following statement, “the AIDSO in strongest words condemn the firing on protesting students in Jamia Milia Islamia today. The students of JMI have time and again declared that they are resolved to continue the protest peacefully. In spite of that, on the pretext of violence by some fringe elements, which need a thorough interrogation, the police started firing bullets on the peaceful protestors of JMI, resulting in many casualties. Many of them got bullet injuries and were admitted to the hospital… We uphold the rights of the student’s community for their democratic protest against the communally biased Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which is being opposed nationwide and warn the police administration as well as the central government to immediately stop exercising these brutal and deadly attacks.”

Statements from JNUSU, JNUTA and other student groups came out in support of JMI appealing students to come to protest in front of the Delhi Police Headquarters in ITO. They then marched towards ITO chanting the slogan, “Delhi police, Jamia Choddo”. The march was also attended by various activists and several MPs. DU North Campus students also came out to protest in support of JMI students at Vishwavidhalaya Metro Station.

Apparently, Special Taskforce was also deployed in Jamia at around 11 pm on 15th December with a curfew all over and orders to shoot on sight. 

Entry and exit gates of metro stations of IIT, GTB Nagar, Patel Chowk, Model Town, Pragati Maidan, Delhi Gate, Shivaji Stadium, RK Puram, Munirka, Vasant Vihar, Sukhdev Vihar, Jamia Millia Islamia, Okhla, and Vishwavidhalaya have also now been closed. Trains will not be halting at these stations.

Feature Image Credits: Anonymous

Satviki Sanjay

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The students of Delhi University have observed multiple discrepancies during the Semester-End Examinations causing various issues. Read further for more details.

On 4th December, students of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC) writing the GE History paper for the first semester received a question paper that was out of syllabus, raising a huge concern among them all.

“We had our GE History Paper yesterday Delhi Through the Ages. Our syllabus for this year was changed. But, our particular class has got a separate paper than that of others, i.e, of the previous syllabus. Other classes have got the new paper, we got the old one. Even after we told our teacher, he denied it. We’ll get zero marks if the person checking our answer sheet doesn’t get the paper, as we had different question papers from others,” said a student writing the exam. The student further provided that they had contacted the Principal who further directed a letter to the concerned authorities. Hopefully, corrective measures will be taken soon.

Further, on the 5th of December, students from Ramanujan College giving their 5th-semester exams for B.A (Prog) E.S.B ( Entrepreneurship and Small Business) had been given a paper which was completely out of the syllabus taught to them. Vaibhav, a student giving the paper at Ramanujan says, “Our syllabus was completely different than what came in the exam. I read the first question and I thought I don’t know this, I read the second question and I didn’t know it and when I got to the third question, I raised my voice and asked is this In the syllabus and everyone there agreed that all of this wasn’t in the syllabus.”

Initially, the invigilators had been very helpful in alerting the administration. However, after an hour was waste by these students, they were told to either attempt the paper or leave, and
no helpful solution was provided. This threw the students into a very bad situation.

Rishansh, who had called the teacher during the exam says “ When I asked the authorities for help during the exam, initially they were helpful but then after a while, they said this is your syllabus according to the DU website. When I called the teacher, he didn’t pick up, he later responded saying he couldn’t pick up due to the DUTA strike. I tried to coordinate with the teacher to sort this out the next day but he was not serious at all. We are very worried.”

Another similar incident was observed on the 7th of December during the Political Science paper for the first semester throughout Delhi University. Students claim to have received questions from the old syllabus.

“We had 3 questions from Democracy which wasn’t there in the new syllabus. Everybody was upset about it but nobody exactly complained about it. We had to attempt any 4 questions out of the 8, so nobody really did anything. And the last question was short notes on any 2 out of 4 and two of them were from democracy and one direct question from democracy,” stated a first year Political Science student from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. To our knowledge, no corrective measures for the same were taken.

Further issues were faced in Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies in Rohini where the paper for Basics of Statistical Inference was delayed by 1 hour since it didn’t reach the college on time.

These recurrent instances speak volumes about the impetuous nature of the Examination Department of Delhi University. These heedless actions may severely impact the academic careers of countless students. Hopefully, these errors would be corrected in a timely manner.

Feature Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandani for DU Beat.

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Aditi Gutgutia

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On 7th November, a student of Miranda house circulated a message accusing an employee of the college of sexual misconduct. 

 

On 7th November, a student of Miranda House circulated a message on WhatsApp accusing an employee of the college photocopy shop of sexual misconduct. The student alleged that the employee kept staring at her body and making inappropriate statements. 

The message read, “Today I had to visit the photocopy shop of Miranda House for some urgent piece of work related to a reading for my examination… I went to the shop and I was talking to this man named Karan I believe. From the very first instance, he made me feel super comfortable with his constant glances onto my breast. I chose to ignore it. Then he had to ask me why I was here a day before my exam because according to him the whole year I was on social media flirting with boys. I told him to do his work and let me leave. Then he said to me, ‘ aapne sweater kyun pehna hai?, itni thand nahi hai. Abhi andar shameez (probably my inner) bhi pehni hogi.’  (Why are you wearing a sweater? It’s not that cold. You must be wearing thermals inside.)I was dumbstruck and couldn’t respond. Then again, he said to me,’Ek baat bolu? Bura mat manna, aapki strap dikh rahi hai, acha nahi lag raha. (Your strap is showing, it doesn’t look good.) I responded that it’s none of his business. Then he asked me to paytm the amount for the reading on his personal number. I insisted that I’d do it on the barcode already there on the shop, but he said it’s not working. Left with no option, I forwarded the money on his personal number” 

However, swift action was taken soon after this message was circulated. Within hours, the issue was registered with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and discussed with the authorities. The Miranda House Student Union (MHSU) responded saying that the authorities have decided to bar the entry of the accused, Karan, into the college premises and the police have also been kept in the loop with the case. 

“On an urgent basis, training of all the non-teaching staff will also be conducted, and a list of the members and their conduct thereon will be recorded periodically. This program is already conducted for all the teaching staff but will now also be extended to the non-teaching staff with immediate effect,” said the MHSU. 

In addition, a message explaining the functioning of the ICC was also circulated in college WhatsApp groups for a clarification of the process of dealing with such incidents. 

“The student is meeting the ICC members for formal proceedings. Her TIC and mentor have reached out to her.  MH has a zero-tolerance for sexual harassment. Proud of the student who spoke up and reached out. Thank you for informing me,” said Dr. Bijayalaxmi Nanda, the Acting Principal of Miranda House. 

 

DU Beat reached out to the Miranda House Student Union for comment but didn’t receive a response. 

Feature Image Credits: Lavina Mulani

Satviki Sanjay

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The last three terms of the Lok Sabha have something in common: the wastage of the parliament’s stipulated working time.

Taking the case of the 16th Lok Sabha which started in 2014 and was dissolved in 2019 a total of 1,615 hours was the actual time the lower house, i.e., the Lok Sabha worked which is a staggering 40% lower than the average working time of Lok Sabha which is 2,689 hours.  A total of 16% of the time or the working hours were wasted due to obstructions like walkouts, etc. Coming to the Upper House, i.e., the Rajya Sabha we get to know that it also lost around 36% of its time due to such disruption. If we compare these disruptions to previous Lok Sabhas, we get to know that though the 16th Lok Sabha fared better than its predecessor the 15th Lok Sabha but fared poorly when compared to the 14th Lok Sabha. The 16th Lok Sabha sat for only 331 days which is significantly lower than the average of 468 days. Due to the massive NDA (National Democratic Alliance) majority in the 16th Lok Sabha it passed a total of 133 bills and 45 ordinances which is again more than its predecessor but less than the 14th Lok Sabha or the time of UPA (United Progressive Alliance). To add to this exiguous performance the Rajya Sabha was worse off than the Lok Sabha in terms of efficiency partly due to lack of NDA majority in Rajya Sabha. Even though there have been speculations and accusations that the NDA government made arbitrary decisions and was not discussing the bills enough but the data by PRS Legislative Research ( a prominent research institution based in New Delhi) tells us that more discussions were there in the 16th Lok Sabha as compared to previous assemblies.

In 2019, the Rajya Sabha worked at a distressingly low-efficiency rate of 7% whereas the Lok Sabha work was pegged at an efficiency rate of 77%, which though is more than its compatriot but way lesser than the average of the parliament during the monsoon sessions which normally is around 95%. These facts and figures show that nowadays political parties want to have an argument rather than a rational debate which just results in the delay of the government’s work and the citizens’ taxes. Even during the Question Hours of the parliament, the opposition tends to stick to its questions and not listen to the answers. It has been estimated that each working day of the Indian parliament costs the Indian taxpayers around Rs. 6,00,00,000 or Six crore rupees. The solution to this problem is not as simple blaming the other side for such disruptions rather it requires a sustained effort from the government’s side which should teach the MPs or the Members of the Parliament about the mannerisms under which they should conduct themselves in, as these are not mere politicians but elected representatives of more than 1.3 billion Indian Citizens who need to work tirelessly for the betterment of this nation.

 

To get a better perspective on the issue, we asked some students about their views on the problem. Khushi Malhotra of Maharaja Agrasen College, says, “Efficiency isn’t present there. These people make the decisions for our nation, but still, political propaganda is given more importance than actual decision making. Often the opposition just tries to avoid passing bills for the ruling party like the Prasar Bharati Bill, 1979”. Apart from this another student, Sriya Rane from Cluster Innovation Centre (DU), tells us, “The Indian Parliament only works for 75 days while in Britain the working days amount to 152. Even though absenteeism has now reduced but still the problem is there. In other countries, the MPs are paid according to their attendance but in India, the salary is on a monthly basis and thus the MPs aren’t motivated to come to the parliament itself. Thus, the productive output of the parliament isn’t optimum”.

 

 Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Read our correspondent’s opinion on the book Fangirl. 

Fangirl is a coming–of–age story of two twins who grew up in the world of online fandoms. The protagonist, Cath, assisted by her twin Wren is one of the most successful fanfiction authors on the web based off of their favourite books. Wren and Cath had done everything together, owing to the absence of their mother in their lives growing up, until now. Moving out to university in Nebraska, Wren does not wish to be roommates with her twin and the decision proves difficult for Cath who has evolved into an introvert, being overly attached to Wren- her best friend and only link to a social life. Now being separated from her only source of comfort, Cath must face the life of a freshman in university, dealing with anxiety, a rude, eccentric roommate and hyperactive Levi, the guy who just won’t leave her alone.

Every chapter begins with excerpts from not only Cath’s fan fiction but also the “canons” from the Simon Snow books, which she is so intricately and deeply in love with. Through her writing, Cath can express things she can’t in real life, where she’s extremely reclusive and socially inept. Wren was the only one able to link with Cath and her parallel realities, but now she seems uncaring in her own party-life. Shaken, Cath finds solace in the company of Levi, and the emergency dance parties with him.

More than anything, the book proves to be extremely relatable. An easy, laidback yet creative and funny writing style aptly complements the fresh narrative layered with empathy, emotion and understanding.  

I’d wave my hands around and make noises to make everyone read this absolutely delightful yet a book that makes you think. It made all the emotional goosebumps and the teary-eyed reading and the big sighs happen for me as a reader. I so identified with Cath, with her determination, her directness and her fear of being a part of a world which was far from reality but brought her peace and ease when nothing else could.

So, fan-people, grab your copies today and let’s get that emergency dance party going.

 “Cath felt like she was swimming in words. Drowning in them, sometimes.”

– Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl

 

Feature Image Credits: Thoughts of a Bibliophile

Bhavya Pandey

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A look at how caste and class privilege is still prevalent in the LGBTQI+ Movement in India and how accessible it is to all sections of society.

The LGBTQIA+ movement has taken great strides in India in the form of awareness and rights. An example of how this movement has succeeded is the Supreme Court ruling that Section 377 of the IPC as unconstitutional on 6th September 2018. On the 26th of November 2019, the movement has suffered a setback in the form of the Rajya Sabha passing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill which is regressive for the Trans community and a step backward for the movement in the country. The question that arises is.  Does the LGBTQIA+ movement consider intersectionalities within the movement or, Does it cater only to certain privileged classes within big cities and still remain inaccessible to people from marginalized communities such as Dalits and Muslims.

The true essence of a movement should lie in fighting for the people within it. An example of this can be seen from an excerpt from Hasratein: A Queer Collective’s latest statement urging action against the Trans Bill during the Pride Parade. “This Pride is not a party, it’s a fight. It’s a brawl in a bar that ends with a brick thrown on the head of a cop. It sparks a revolution. It is for the trans community. Only when this atrocious bill is defeated, do we celebrate. Join us in our rage at Delhi Queer Pride to continue our resistance against this fascist state.”

A noticeable aspect of the pride parade and the LGBTQI+ movement is the ignorance of intersectionality. Rishi Raj Vyas, a Dalit queer activist when talking about the Pride Parade says “When we were at Pride, they did not let us raise the flag of Babasaheb Ambedkar saying that Pride is only for LGBTQ people, thus denying access to queer Dalit and queer Muslim people. So, we need to have more intersectional spaces for queer individuals from different caste and class backgrounds and yes, we need to educate people, especially queer people about struggles of people of class and people of caste”

Yameena, a student of sociology from Miranda House, University of Delhi says “The LGBTQIA+ movement in India has the tendency of excluding Muslims and Dalits. It’s often a result of the inherent islamophobia and casteism of the Savarna queers. It’s also important to look at the issue from a socio-political dimension.”

It is a very important point to consider that the accessibility of these movements for different castes and classes within India is still next to none. Prachi, a student of IPCW says “Coming from a very privileged place, it was very hard for me to remember any Muslim or Dalit queer person I know or have met in real life. the Muslim or Dalit people I know are not publicly out to the world because we live in a very Hindu dominated society and this society is not at all safe for them.”

It is time to recognize that privilege does exist within the sphere of the LGBTQIA+ movement in this country, and while it might take steps forward, the overall effort will be fruitless if the many different socio-political factors within the movement and its intersectionalities aren’t recognized. There is a need to examine and introspect how this movement and all the positives within it can reach and incorporate all sections of society.

Feature Image Credits: Noihrit Gogoi for DU Beat

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) decided to convert the common room of its office space into a library for students, which is supposed to remain open throughout the hours of the day, all days of the week. Read on to know more. 

The North Campus of the Delhi University (DU) has, for a protracted amount of time, longed for a good place to study. The students often complain about the lack of 24×7 libraries and moreover of quality libraries itself.

This problem is more visible during the exam season at the Varsity. As students aren’t able to study in hostel or PG rooms as the rooms are primarily small and the libraries seem to be full all the time. The present libraries either lack the seating capacity or updated books and internet. The students thus, are forced to go to private studying spaces and libraries which are chargeable based on the hour. A large amount of the students hence find this to be very expensive and therefore aren’t able to study properly.

DUSU has, on various occasions, tried to overcome this problem by sending letters to the DU Administration, but the same has not resulted in any positive reaction by the latter. Seeing the gravity of the issue, DUSU led by its President, Akshit Dahiya, has tried to deal with the problem on its own. DUSU has converted the meeting/waiting room in its President’s cabin, at the DUSU Office, into an open library.

Speaking to DU Beat, Dahiya said, “DUSU has for a long time demanded to turn regular libraries into 24×7 libraries in order to help the students. I have met with Proctor and the Rector several times over this issue, as we in our manifesto promised for better and increased number of libraries. During the exam times, several students have conveyed to me that their rooms are too small for studies and that college libraries are always full. Thus, they are forced to go to private libraries and as many of the students cannot afford the same, they face a lot of problems in managing their expenses. Thus, I opened my meeting room for these students to study. I have even sent a letter to the Proctor and other concerned authorities and have warned them that, if no action is taken to solve this library issue, I will even send these students to their offices itself. However, they seem to understand the gravity of the situation and have agreed to meet me on Monday. We are providing the students with internet for e-books and a space to study to the students at the DUSU Office. The students are supporting us a lot and are giving us positive feedback too. I aim to get a solution out for this issue in my meeting on Monday with the Proctor.”

This is a welcome step taken by the Union. However, its implementation and security will be seen only as time comes

 

Feature Image Credits: Scopio

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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The construction of a 39 floor High Rise building near Vishvavidyala Metro Station has raised important questions about ownership of this land. While the Private Builders braces up to construct a multi-story high rise complex, they want us to believe that the land belongs to Defense Ministry.

 

Student bodies, teachers association, environmentalists all of them came together to fight against the construction of 39 storey high rise building near Vishvavidyalaya metro station since early November this year. Their plight? How come an area dedicated to a university be used for corporate functionaries. The road that starts from the Vishvavidalaya Metro Station leads to the School of Open Learning, University Stadium which houses Cluster Innovation Centre and the Delhi School of Journalism, the VC house and Gandhi Bhavan. Imagine, amidst this path a giant corporate building standing which has nothing to do with academics let alone the University. This can be a reality if Young Builders Private Limited is allowed to execute its project at the site.

Going back to the disputed land’s history, it was in 2001 when the Ministry of Defense leashed the land to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the construction of Vishvavidyala Metro Station. After using a part of it for metro construction, DMRC subleased the rest to a private company called Young Builders Pvt. Ltd for 218 Crore Rupees. DMRC selling it at more than 5 times the rate it bought (it bought the land from Defense Ministry at 42.4 Crore) is worth noticing, that too when public money is involved.

Since early November, protests started erupting in the north campus demanding the authorities to intervene and stop the construction. Campaigns like ‘Solidarity Through Food’ and ‘Indefinite Protest Strike’ were launched to garner eyeballs. A few days later, you see “Ye Zameen Raksha Mantralaya Ki hai” written on the boundary that walls the land. But, as mentioned earlier, the land was sold to DMRC way back in 2001 and sub leashed to a private company Young Builder Pvt. Ltd, a few years later. So why are the landowners trying to deceive the students by surrendering the blame to Defense Ministry? There’s no denial of the fact that the government might have an active role in this deceit too.

Young Builder Pvt. Ltd is, after all, a non-government company established in 1981 under the Registrar of Companies Act. The company was founded by Vinod Puranmal Bansal who also owns a few other companies.

The construction of this building will compromise with the safety of women living around, torment the environmental stability of the ridge area and create difficulties for people with disabilities who pass through the locality on a daily basis. It’s not that the University has not tried to stop the construction. In 2012, Delhi University moved the High Court against the construction but Court ruled against the varsity saying that the land doesn’t come under North Campus’ jurisdiction. In 2018, DU again filed a case in the National Green Tribunal and the Delhi High Court, but both of them rejected the appeal. In February this year, University appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the previous rulings.

Whereat one end talks of closing the north campus is doing rounds, erecting an odd building out of nowhere which is not even closely related to the varsity or academics will simply dilute the idea of Delhi University. Moreover, the amount of environmental harm it will create can not be undermined,

Feature Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat

Priyanshu

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What makes our generation more insecure than the others? What screams “insecurity”? Read further to know more…

Our generation, the Gen-Z, turns out to be the most narcissistic generation. We are so engrossed with our identities on social media and in real life that we fail to realise the juncture where our self-obsession reshapes into insecurity. We may portray heightened versions of ourselves on reel, but in reality we may not walk around feeling all that much satisfied. With so much around to juxtapose our own traits with, our inner-critics compare, evaluate and judge our own selves with great scrutiny.

One of the most essential causes of insecurity happens to be rejection and failure. Just how Shane tells us his “heart can’t take rejection, because he’s insecure, baby,” prior experiences of exclusion or criticism may have a severe impact on one’s self esteem. Incidences like the ending of a relationship, poor performance in academics or negative health events attribute equally to an already lowered confidence.

However, what surpasses this rejection by society is rejection of our own self. This is prominent in the case of perfectionism. We create an image of an ideal self in our minds. This image is often unrealistic and irrational, and its digression from the real self often causes anxiety and triggers our insecurity. “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel,” said Steve Furtick, enlightening us all of a harsh reality we fail to see.

Insecurity can be observed in the not-so-subtle remarks made by individuals on a daily basis. For instance, complimenting oneself in between conversations screams insecurity from across the land. After a point, it’s as if the person is trying to convince him/herself of their own traits. In contrast to this, even downgrading oneself is a classic show of insecurity. In such cases, one either fishes for compliments or is a perfectionist, expecting too much out of him/herself.

An insecure person may find it difficult to maintain eye contact or even talk about them for long due to the previously mentioned fear of rejection. The persisting self doubt in the person surfaces, making them want to wrap up conversations about self as soon as possible. Again, in the celebrated words of Shane, “losing grasp of the time, trying not to say what I want,” – an apparent illustration of insecurity.

Now that we’ve been over the causes and symptoms of insecurity, let us ponder over certain measures to tackle this. First off, you need to identify what you’re really insecure about and why you’re insecure to begin with. The deeper you dig, the closer you’ll find yourself to the roots of your problems. Once identified, you need to challenge your insecurities by adopting a more rational and objective perspective towards them. This will allow you to question the validity of your experiences and open up doors to new possibilities.

Moreover, you need to acknowledge and reward your successes and accomplishments in order to remind yourself of your abilities to work things out even in difficult situations. At the same time, allow yourself to learn and benefit from your mistakes. Don’t let them bring your morale down. Most importantly, learn to reject the opinions of others about yourself. “We are defined by what we choose to reject. And if we reject nothing we essentially have no identity at all,” quoted Mark Manson in his highly acclaimed novel, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.

Nobody is perfect. Everybody makes mistakes and everybody has those days. We’ve all learned this from our, dear old Hannah Montana, and it is high time we advocate this too. It is essential for us to accept ourselves the way we are. We need to embrace our flaws and welcome them as a part of our personalities, because that is what distinguishes us from the rest. Be grateful for who you are and cut yourself some slack. Remember Bob Marley when he tells you, “Get up, stand up: don’t give up the fight!”

 

Featued Image Credits: Elegant Themes

Aditi Gutgutia 

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