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The curious case of the 39 storey building

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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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Gen-Z and Insecure-T

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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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The JNU Fee Hike Crisis and the Creation of Multiple Realities

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Time and again, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has come under the scrutiny of the masses. Right from media trials of the issues happening at the campus to the raising concerns about events taking place in the country, here is an extensive and expansive, multi-dimensional lens from a student studying at the University about the latest protests regarding the proposed fee-hike, taking place at JNU.

I am a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Throughout the University’s turbulent history with opinions and ideas concentrated in political sphere with controversies emerging out of them, one fact remains constant.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in India and world, JNU has claimed its much deserved place in the academic arena. Rather than acknowledging my university as one of the best in the world, it is more often than not seen as a political ground; dominated by the left ideology. So for obvious reasons, any issue that originates here is put under the veil of political spirit.

On the 28th of November, the Inter Hall Administration called a meeting in which the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) was informed 15 minutes prior to it, via e-mail. Till the time the JNUSU and other students could make it, the hostel manual was passed.

Fast forward today, it’s almost been a month with students here, protesting against the draconian fee structure. I lay out some vital points for your better understanding of the ongoing strike and the triggering force behind it:

  • More than 40% of the students of JNU comprise of the students coming from humble backgrounds where their family income does not exceed more than INR 12000 a month. If the fee hike is to happen for real, they (40%) would be immediately wiped off the face of JNU.
  • JNU, by its very nature, has been known to out loud criticise the government and point out the fallacies that exist in the system. A hub for left wing ideas, as it is seen, it sure is to develop resistance from the right wing and its supporters. Hence, a political inclination is assigned here to a non-political protest.
  • The mainstream media, which is followed by the majority of the general public, has grown to become unreliable and is known to shift its ground; driven by politics, has been manipulating facts and showing them in a different and distorted light. However, there are a few media houses who put out straight facts before the public and show the actual situation of what’s happening in here. Many students who take admission here were of the same opinion before living in the campus and knowing the nature of the university. It’s simple: people will believe what is fed to them.
  • In JNU, the population of female students is greater than the male students. This promotes girl education and female literacy in a country like India, where patriarchy is still prevalent and people here come from the remotest of areas, breaking the shackles. This shows how the university attracts students from all over India, not from a particular section.
  • From the child of a tailor to the child of an IPS to even entrepreneurs, there is diversity in its true sense in our campus. We all sit down together as a community where it doesn’t matter what backgrounds we come from. Here, we are all equal.
  • Take the very basic example of our campus not having popular eateries like CCD, Subway, much like other colleges. This is because it creates a divide. People who can afford will visit these eateries, while people who can’t, simply won’t. To avoid any kind of divide where people lose their sense of equality is the primary reason our campus does not have fancy eateries. Everything on here is planned. This shows how the university has maintained its idea for years and how the new fee structure will shake the very basis of it.
  • Student activists and speakers here question the monetary privilege those in power get to ‘enjoy’. The construction of two hostels was underway which now is unheard of. It all boils down to one question: Where did the money go? The VC, this shows, is incompetent and JNU refuses to accept his idiosyncratic behaviour and asks for his immediate resignation. All the questioning that happens around here is the evident of how JNU is the center of all the intellectually stimulating debates and ideas that refuse to remain latent. How students here are to stay, exercise their rights, hold on to each other, collecting their existence into a string of unbreakable unity that fears no higher force.
  • The new Hostel Manual, that talked about curfew timings and Dress Code agitated the students all over the University. As people here come from all over India, coming from places we haven’t heard of, they’ve grown up in quite conservative environments with them not being allowed to step out of their houses at night and being expected to maintain a ‘decent’ dress code, JNU must have felt a better form of liberation. Here, we can roam around our massive campus at any given time safely, to any nook and corner. Students here wear whatever they want to because there are no confinements. One of the very few universities that allows girls to enter in the boys’ hostel. The new set of rules indeed contributed to the patriarchal culture. Though these set of regulations have been scraped, students demand a complete rollback on the fee hike, to this date.
  • The biggest myth about the ongoing protest is that the fee hike is from ?10 to ?300. Sorry to burst your bubble, but we already pay around INR 3000 a month as our mess bills. That will shoot up to around INR 7000 a month. It will include service charges, electricity and water bill, increment in admission fees, utility charges. JNU, after the fee hike, would be the most expensive central university in India. Affordable education? What’s that, again?
  • A partial rollback had happened a few days ago, which the students had out-rightly rejected, terming it a ‘lie’. A complete rollback is what the student community is fighting for, and will continue to do so.
  • JNU, known for its poster making culture, has always been very open to the idea of expressing agitation, emotions and opinions by penning them down on paper, colouring their views across the walls and exhibiting them for the world to see. The Freedom Square, which is the main administrative building, was taken by the students on one of the protesting days, which they painted the whole building in, making sure that their voices be heard, loud and clear.
  • The protests, as the general public knows, is not always about the ‘shows’ that attract news channels and media houses, with JNU again being the headline of the national mainstream media. No media house would show how peaceful our protests are, with students singing songs of revolution over a cup of chai and debates. Almost every alternate day, different centres of JNU organise this programme, that goes by the name ‘Guerrilla Dhaba’. Besides, every hostel organises their own cultural programme that includes students performing and discussing the implications and consequences of the new fee structure, and how it would affect their lives.
  • On the 17th of November 2019, students in huge numbers took to the streets of Delhi to march to the Parliament for their voices to be heard. A proper guideline was published a day before which clearly mentioned how to go about the march without disturbing and blocking the roads causing inconvenience to the public. The Police Forces, appointed in huge numbers, did not spare the peacefully protesting students and detained them in hundreds, laathi charging students so as to disperse them and break their unity. They even shut the three nearest metro stations so that they don’t escape, and no form of help is provided to them. In the process, many students got hurt who were not allowed medical help, too. Students who were detained mentioned how the police officers were treating them and particularly the female students. One word for this incident: shameful.
  • Seeing the critical conditions in the campus with academic activities being heavily hampered, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) forms a committee to listen to the concerns of the students. The meeting happens, we are promised a positive outcome soon. Fast forward a few days, nothing fruitful is gained out of the meeting. Administration, on the other hand, releases notices every other day appealing students to get back to classes and resume their academic work, retaining the normalcy of the campus. Students are in no mood to withdraw till they achieve what they are protesting for, day in and day out.
  • On the 25th of November, another notice is released that talks about slashing the fees (utility and service charges) for APL by 50% and BPL by 75% on the strong recommendation of the High Level Committee (HLC) set up by the administration. JNU Students’ Union and the others on University observing strike from Day 1, reject this revised fee structure wholly and completely. Not an inch back, as they say, students are hell bent on wanting their demands to be listened to. This move by administration is a ‘lollipop’ and a form of ‘bargain’, as students claim, and rightly so.
  • The inside story that majority of the people who comment on the JNU protests don’t know anything about: The meeting in which the new fee structure was passed, clearly cut the JNU Students’ Union out and failed to recognise the presence of the student body. Therefore, by this very nature, the meeting stands null and void.
  • JNU VC, has all the time in the world to spew venom against his own students on Twitter and news channels, but we haven’t heard from him now in a month. A VC who does not prefer dialogue with his own students is of no good. Hence, we are demanding his immediate stepping down from the post because he’s proven incompetent to run a university like JNU.
  • A fee hike has been observed in many colleges around the country, why only JNU is protesting, you ask? Think of the better question: Why is Education being sold as a commodity? Isn’t free education a right for all? Why are the students around the country okay with their fees being this high? Why are the students quiet, why are you quiet?

 

I’ve friends here who were laathi charged, and chased by the Delhi police in kilometres, on the day they were marching to the Parliament. They haven’t succumbed to the higher authoritarian wrath and still go out, participating passionately in all the protests. The enthusiasm to save their University from the evils of privatisation of education hasn’t been knocked down by ‘efforts’ of the Delhi Police and their cruel and disgusting tactics.

As JNU students say, you can lock them up and shut them down. But you can never shut out their ideas. The emotions of anger, agitation and pain that JNUites share with each other, I say no force is strong enough to bog them down.

I request you all to stop being so unfair to us and see beyond what is shown. Hear our story out. Save JNU, before it gets destroyed at the hands of the higher authoritarian body. I pity people who can’t see what gem of a university JNU truly is, where our ideas echoes out loud and that is what sets JNU apart from other universities.

Stand with JNU, because once it starts getting tarnished and eventually, destroyed, the nation will weep the death of an incredible university and it will be too late.

The author is a student, currently studying at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. A close observer of what is happening in, around and about the University, and the intense student politics at the Varsity, through this piece the authors tries to present various facts and issues of importance concern which need their due place in the public space. 

Feature Image Credits: Priyanshu Sinha for DU Beat

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Plea to Block The Passageway of Trans Bill 2019

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The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 currently being tabled in the Rajya Sabha, has been strongly critiqued, and rejected by the trans community due to its contentious and violating nature

The Winter Session of the Parliament commenced on 18th November, and the impending tabling of the regressive Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha began on 20th November. The Bill had been earlier passed by the Lower House in August.

Despite its deceiving nomenclature, the Bill in fact offers no protection or real mainstreaming measures for the Indian trans community and instead, reeks of transphobia and ignorance. The bill stands to dehumanize and further ostracize the marginalised community.

For trans people to legally identify as a different gender,the Bill purports a two-step procedure. The step of ‘screening and certification’ in front of a district magistrate and a medical screening committee, under this procedure, is an arbitrary and demeaning measure that violates the personhood, agency and privacy of a trans person. This measure reflects the Bill’s narrow and ignorant understanding of ‘gender’. It also stands in contradiction of the 2014 NALSA Judgement passed by the apex court that granted the right of self-identification.

The Bill rejects the need for reservation for transgender people in education, healthcare, and employment, denying the reality of how transgender people do not have an undemanding or safe access to these, due to lack of financial resources and rampant discrimination.

Further, the bill mandates transgender people to live with their birth families, where they are most often met with rejection and hostility. It denies them the right to live with their chosen families/communities/partners etc. Thus, the Bill criminalises traditional Hijra livelihoods and families. The Bill gives a maximum sentence of 2 years to anyone who sexually violates a transgender person which upon comparison with the extension of a sentence up to lifetime upon the violation of a cisgender woman, reveals how the bill blatantly encodes discrimination against transgender people with lower penalties for violence against them.

The following Instagram post, by @theypfoundation via @inbreakthrough follows the intricacies of the Tran Bill, in conversation with Bittu, a scientist and a gender queer transman.


View this post on Instagram

The Transgender Bill is currently in the Rajya Sabha. Here is a refresher on what it is and why it is problematic. #flawsinlaws Posted @withrepost • @inbreakthrough The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2019 was recently passed in the Lok Sabha. The trans community has been raising many concerns about the bill, here’s why: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ____________________________________________ #TransBill #transbill2019 #killthetransbill #loksabha #news #transrights #transcommunity #translivesmatter #passthemic #listentotransvoices #demands #reservations #statement #killthebill #killbill #transrightsarehumanrights #transrightsmatter #transvoices #transvoicesmatter #discrimination #violence #transphobia #queerphobia #supporttransrights #transgenderrights

A post shared by The YP Foundation (@theypfoundation) on


Ray R, a transwoman studying law at University of Delhi says (via Twitter), “The trans community believes that the current Bill being discussed in the Rajya Sabha makes a mockery of their personhood, community, rights and only adds to everyday humiliation and violation…”

On 24th and 25th November, Delhi and Bengaluru respectively, witnessed the Delhi Queer Pride and the Namma Pride. As thousands flocked to celebrate at the processions, many wore black to stand in support with the trans community and protest the regressive Trans Bill.

Feature Image Credits: Vaibhav Tekchandni

Story Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat

Prisha Saxena

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JNU Students March to the Parliament over Fee Hike

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The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Fee Hike protest took a dramatic turn yesterday when Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) with thousands of students tried to march from the JNU Campus to the Parliament. As a result a heavy police deployment was put in place and around 100 students were detained, along with JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh.

JNUSU in its statement said that the march was a “way to appeal to lawmakers to fight on our behalf inside the floor of the house”. The Delhi Police along with CRPF had put in around 1,200 troops around the JNU Campus and in Central Delhi. Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) in its statement said, “barricading the campus to stop the students from taking out their planned march will thwart the students from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights”. Before the protestors could reach the parliament, Delhi Police had enforced Section 144 in areas surrounding the JNU Campus and the Parliament. The march was first halted at Ber Sarai road wherein most of the detainments took place. From here the students initially started moving back, but after three hours by 3 p.m. they gathered around Safdarjung Tomb area, and  stated that they would not disperse until all of the detained students were released. Apart from this Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, as advised by Delhi Police, had to close Udyog Bhawan, Patel Chowk, Lok Kalyan Marg, and Central Secretariat metro stations on the Yellow Line. Along the way the protestors and the forces were locked in a constant struggle. The march saw use of violence by both sides like the breaking of barricades by the students, and baton charges by the forces. All the students detained were released by 9:30 p.m. which marked the end of the march. The effects of the protest could clearly be seen in the Parliament as questions were raised on the Bharatiya Janata Party Government during Zero Hour by Bahujan Samaj Party’s MP, Danish Ali.

The extensive protests have been organised since 1st November against the newly enforced Draft Hostel Manual by the IHF (Intel Hall Administration) which is the regulating body of JNU Hostels. According to the manual a host of new charges, from mess bills to water bills, were to be added while some charges were to be increased in the student fees which would increase the annual fee of a resident student in JNU from Rs. 8,000 to around Rs. 50,000. This extreme hike had caused a uproar by the not only JNUSU but also political groups like All India Students’ Association (AISA), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), etc. Though students earlier claimed that the manual also mentioned rules relating to curfew timings and dress code but the JNU Administration via a notice on 1st November clarified that the manual housed no such rules. The Students’ Union also alleged that neither the Vice Chancellor nor anyone else from the Administration is ready for a dialogue with the students. Even though the protest has mostly been peaceful, but two events specifically have tainted the nature of the protest. Firstly, the vandalizing of Swami Vivekanand’s statue and writing of slogans such as,“Bhagwa Jalega” and “Long Live Fascism”. Secondly, confinement of the Associate Dean of Students, Prof. Vandana Mishra, by the Students for around 24 hours.

Seeing a such a massive opposition the Education Secretary via his Twitter handle tweeted that the fees has now been halved, and special provisions have been made for Below Poverty Line students. Still, JNUSU termed the step a gimmick and demanded a full roll back of the manual. Till now the JNUSU delegation after yesterday’s march has submitted their demands to the Ministry of Human Resource Develipmemt (HRD) after a meeting with GC Hosur, Joint Secretary of the HRD Ministry.

Image Caption: Image Credits:
Image Caption: The new proposed fee structure with BPL provisions. Image credits: Ritika Singh

Speaking to DU Beat, Surajit Mazumdar, Secretary, JNUTA, said, “The calling of the JNUSU delegation and the constitution of the 3 member committee itself shows us that the government acknowledges the failure of the JNU Administration. Secondly, the JNU Administration till now hasn’t even recognized the JNUSU, so even when the education minister wanted to meet the union the administration refused. JNUTA also hopes the committee will provides a fruitful solution. We have also put forward our demand that the VC should step down as he has time and again proved to be incapable of the post”. Ashutosh Singh, ABVP State Media In charge adds, “ABVP from the starting has been against the fee hike and we even put aside our ideological differences to protest with JNUSU and since they did not have roadmap for further actions we had to part ways after the first 13 days of the protest. We even have protested outside the UGC on 13th November which resulted in a very positive dialogue between us and UGC. ABVP also condemns the vandalizing of Swami Vivekanand’s statue as he is one of India’s greatest figures and disrespecting him is wrong. We have demanded strict action against those who did it”. The JNU Administration and JNUSU could not be contacted for a statement on the same.

Feature Image Credits: NDTV India

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Adjudicating the Men’s Wardrobe: Introspection or Affirmation?

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A nation that thoroughly attributes its identity to the quest for “Roti, Kapda, aur Makaan ( food, clothing, and shelter)” has certainly done its bit to captivate, and relish the food and housing culture to a very large extent, but that of the clothing and fashion seems a bit sceptical?

From “wardrobe dilemma” to “fast fashion”, the entire fashion terminology seems to be utterly registering about the feminine station, and for a prolonged part of the historical and social context has been negligent to the existence of the male counterpart. It is not a matter of astonishment that most of the men’s clothing praxis has been dominated by dark cotton pants, or paired with a full or half shirt or t-shirt. To extend the compartment we can have a pair of shorts and polos complimented by a flip flop for a casual weekend and traditional kurta pajama and dhoti with gladiator sandals for the cultural extravaganza. All this can veritably fit to summarise the men’s wardrobe.

But the generation that has been perplexed with the internet sensation seeding into our lives and styles, saw a global breakthrough with the #menswear trend that went around on Tumblr in mid-2010’s, flaunting well-draped men on the internet. Indian men were no different to respond to this global phenomenon and became receptive of the fashion avant-garde promulgated by others, and later some among them. Soon, workplaces broke the code for formals, and decided to formulate the business casuals over formals with someone like Vishal Sikka pulling off a t-shirt with various types of denim, and a blazer in cracker overboard meetings and conferences. Most of the corporates and start-ups followed the ideas and styles of their icons, Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs, where the former wore grey t-shirts and denim all his life, while the latter paired his turtleneck jumpers with pants, and hence avoided any kind of dilemma for their wardrobe.

The Indian man is mostly promonochromatic with shades like black, white, grey, blue, and olive getting a hand above other colours, solids are generally preferred over patterns, bright colours like neon and pink are bashed as feminine, dungarees become a matter of mockery, and bell bottoms and cargos are called obsolete. “They mostly go casual, which includes denim wear and t-shirts or shirts, they don’t really look at any brand from a sustainable point of view or how well the brand is working on bringing up old textile art forms which are getting lost in today’s era,” says Prama Mazumdar, a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi.

But in recent years, men, especially the younger generation, have started experimenting with their clothing style and have become more conscious about their style statements; pairing types of denim with kurta is no longer a feminine choice, or journalist’s outfit, and khadi tote bags have become a favourite with the new generation; shirts with mundus are extensively classic. The admiration is no longer confined to the Bollywood actors’ fashion styles but people have rather started fantasising their favourite sports stars, musicians, and politicians as well; Virat Kohli and Sunil Chhetri, apart from being inspirational sports icons, have also played the role of fashion icons for millions. Shashi Tharoor and Milind Deora, Congress Members of Parliament, and Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, have also garnered significant followers for their wardrobe and styling that infuses traditional look in an unconventional manner.

Corporates have also started recognising men’s fashion needs, and have devised brands that cater to their requirements. The long-lost idea of customisation seems to regain its position as well with brands like Levis entailing endeavours for tailored jeans and outfits. Fandom and gaming franchises also seem to be really popular, specially among the college students with exemplar ones like The Avengers, Game of Thrones, and PUBG series. The scene has a lot to evolve from the common parlance, but, the process of breaking through the conventional categories of clothing has already begun, and begun with style.

Feature Image Credits: Janesh Sahni for DU Beat

Faizan Salik

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Mental Health and Men: Boys Don’t Cry

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A look at the notions of toxic masculinity around suppressing emotions and its effect on the mental health of men.

 

There is a mental health crisis in India, which has been ignored severely. In 2017, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, reported that nearly 15 crore Indians needed medical intervention for their mental health problems. The National Survey of Mental Health Resources found that there are only 4,000 psychiatrists in the country when the required number is around 13,000.

Other statistics show that the ratio of psychiatrists per 100,000 people in India is 0.3, the number of mental health nurses per 10,000 is 0.12, with psychologists at 0.07 and social workers at 0.07. However, at the brink of this crisis, there is still a stigma attached to mental health.

The idea of toxic masculinity in India encompasses certain characteristics that men should adopt, so as to not appear “feminine” and to be “manly”. The core behind these characteristics is that men should be aggressive, tough, muscular, and unemotional. An advertisement against domestic abuse told us that “men don’t cry, nor do they make others cry.”

The question that comes out is – why should men not cry or show emotions?

Why is that considered weak by the society? Men have been constantly told since childhood that expressing emotions is not masculine and that it somehow invalidates their gender identity. This, in turn, affects their mental health as they grow up lacking conventional ways of expression of emotions.

Bhavika Mehta, a second-year student who is the founder of The Happy Company, which is a mental health organisation, says, “Society has set a standard image for men, and there are so many notions around this very image of ‘mard ko dard nahi hota (men don’t feel pain)’, movies, songs and TV shows glorify this very idea of suppressing their emotions. What follows is a lifelong spiral of feeling guilty about feeling a certain way, being vulnerable, and hiding how they feel. Suppressing the emotions can cause severe effects on a person’s mental health, and then also make it difficult for them to talk about it because they’re expected not to feel that way.”

A rejection of the idea that crying is weak and negative would be a revolutionary step to do away with the stigma that has plagued entire generations of men. In fact, crying is known to have many positive impacts. Crying helps you relax, according to a study, it can help people to get support from people around them. It also helps in releasing oxytocin and endorphins which are feel-good chemicals in the brain that help with emotional and physical pain relief, improving one’s mood.

When humans cry in response to stress, it actually acts as a stress reliever. Crying also has several physical benefits – it improves your vision, cleans out bacteria, and keeps the eyes clean in general. Hence, the question arises again, why should men not cry or show emotion?

There is no logical answer to this question. For years, the ideas perpetuated by toxic masculinity have shackled men emotionally. It has led to many men (add the word for clarity) suffering from stunted emotional growth. Men should be taught from an early age that crying and expressing emotions is a completely normal thing to do, and expressing emotions should be considered healthy. Men should be steered away from the idea that violence and aggression solve everything, and should be encouraged to find healthier solutions and coping mechanisms. They should not be measured on their “toughness” and strength and should be shown that true bravery comes from expressing emotions and accepting themselves as they are.

 

Featured Image Credits- Redbubble

 

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Campus Central

Students of Campus Law Centre Protest Against Unjust ICC Elections

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Students of the Campus Law Centre (CLC) protested against the unjust students’ elections to elect the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for sexual harassment.

According to the students of the institute, the tier-1 selection wasn’t conducted according to the rules. The tier -1 selection consisted of appointing of Class Representatives for the ICC, which was done without providing full knowledge to the students who weren’t properly informed about the procedure. The students nominated their CRs for normal activities of the department just like in any other institute of the University of Delhi(DU), but to their utter surprise, there was more to the activities of CRs something which the concerned people i.e. the students themselves weren’t made aware of.

Shivank Trivedi, the Vice President of CLC’s Students’ Union said, “In September, the University had asked the departments to select the CRs for the ICC. These CRs are different from the CRs elected for coordinating the day-to-day matters. But our centre did not notify this. When Law Centre-1 uploaded the matter on the website and issued a notification, we got to know about it. We tried to raise the issue with the authorities.”

According to sources, students are not in favour of the nominees appointed for the formation of this gender panel as they were elected in an unjust manner.

“On November 6, the class representatives received an email and were asked to assemble in the teachers’ common room on November 7. The email didn’t specify any purpose. They called the general CRs and conducted the elections in a deceitful manner without any prior notice, ” said Trivedi.

The students have registered their complaints against this manifestation of unlawful practices with the Dean of Students’ Welfare, and the Proctor’s office.

On Monday, the students will engage in a protest against the same demanding fair conduction of the election according to the legal procedure.

Image Caption: The protest arranges by the students against the unjust election procedure.
Image Caption: The protest arranges by the students against                                 the unjust election procedure.                         Image Credits: Students of Campus Law Centre

Students strongly believe that the formation of the ICC is a highly sensitive matter as the panel acts as the moderator between the students and the authorities. They feel cheated on not being given full disclosure about the purpose of the selection of the representatives.

“In CLC, the first process has only been flouted, resulting in many students not even knowing about the ICC. We are just being given assurance but nothing concrete has taken place and the election is scheduled for November 13, we only have a day to time to ensure that everything is done as per the law”, said Trivedi.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Avni Dhawan

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Uncategorized

The Elitism of Education: Acknowledging the Privilege

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There are people from all walks of life who aim of accessing education but, the elitism around it stands as an overcast shadow, giving chances to some and leaving others behind.

Each year, when the results of the 12th grade examinations are declared, the nation collectively holds its breath. It does not matter if your kid is actually in 12th, or if they are in the second grade. The results reach new heights each year, with students working hard to achieve seemingly impossible scores. It is with these scores that come the impossible cut-offs.

It is a thinly veiled fact that the University of Delhi (DU) remains to be one of the most sought after universities in India. The “DU Tag” is a golden goose to catch, since it offers both – a subsidised education, and a status symbol. Thus, every passing year becomes a blood-bath of score battles to get into the best colleges. The idea of over-achievement is now so deeply internalised that even students who are fully aware that one exam set for one day is hardly enough to judge their worth, get carried away and caught in this vicious trap.

Many feel a sense of elitist pride for having been admitted to one of the more prestigious universities of India and our conditioning tells us – “well, why shouldn’t we?” After all, we worked hard to achieve it and it is a big deal. It is at this stage in the stream of thoughts that we contribute to forgetting our privilege. In economics, the “cycle of poverty” is the “set of factors or events by which poverty, once started, is likely to continue unless there is outside intervention”. This cycle is built on gate-keeping the weaker sections of our society from accessing the resources, education being an important one of them, which they direly require to come out of their existing state of situations.

Education is freedom. It is for that reason that education became such an important tool for the British to keep their colonies “in-line” – for that is precisely why only a certain set of Indians were educated in order to create a divide, and the perfect set of subordinates. It is then, that it becomes interesting to see that even after 72 years of Independence, it is exactly what we continue to replicate in slightly different ways. This is not a secret that in India, a Government school education is inherently sub-par when compared to the private education. This divide exists not just because of more highly qualified, high-paid teachers who can be held accountable but it also exists because of every other element that a private education entails. It entails an ability to afford dedicated teachers, extra reading material, and even private tuitions – something that has become a rite of passage in possibly every Indian household that can afford to do so, and most importantly, a support system that enables this culture of education.

It is then that the prospect of Government colleges being revered over private institutions becomes an asset. It works towards bridging a gap of working towards the façade that it is not just money that would get you a good education, but it is your own merits, too. However, when the Government of India introduces policies like the National Education Policy of 2019, which works towards privatisation of these government institutions, this re-enforces a privilege that already has had a strong base, to begin with. When we make Government institutions autonomous and give them the liberty to set up courses with their own fee-structures, when we allow the Government to take away the job security of those who put “quality” in quality education, we allow a culture of gate-keeping.

Not every student can afford to pay lakhs to be able to go to a university. It is then that it becomes important to recognise this cycle of elite education, and to make conscious efforts to resist it.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Shreya Juyal

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DUB News

Memorial Meet Organised for Late Prashant Yadav; Student Leaders Speak on Campus Politics

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On the birth anniversary of Late Prashant Yadav, a DSJ student and the architect of the “Stand With DSJ” movement, a seminar was organised to discuss student politics where student leaders from Delhi University (DU), Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Patna University (PU), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) spoke about the issues concerning university campuses amidst remembering Prashant. 

On 6th November 2019, the date he would have turned 20 had he been around us,  a memorial meet was organised to remember Prashant Yadav, a young Journalism student from DSJ and the architect of the “Stand With DSJ” movement which intended to fight against privatisation policy of DU. The event, organised in the form of a seminar in Satyakam Bhawan, Arts Faculty, had eminent student leaders on board who came from varsities across the country to speak on student politics, campus issues and the changing role of universities. Pooja Shukla, National Vice President, Samajvaadi Chatrasabha, spoke on the need for students to question the Government and espoused the role of universities as the cradle of democracy. Rocky Tuseed, Ex-President, Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU)  broke down while remembering Prashant. Salman Imtiaz, President Aligarh Muslim University Students’ Union (AMUSU) asserted the importance of plurality and diversity in India. Kawalpreet Kaur, Delhi President, All India Students’ Union (AISA) asserted on the need to have more students like Prashant in the campus. Divyanshu Bharadwaj, Former President, Patna University, lamented the ailing condition of state universities. Jayant Jagyasu, C-RJD Leader, spoke about the state of marginalised people in university campuses.

A homage to Prashant by his teacher, Dr Albert Abraham, classmates, and invited speakers was followed by the seminar whose focus was to highlight the role of student politics in campuses. As the invitees were from nooks and corners of the country, their respective speeches contained concerns over changing demographics in India.

Remembering Prashant through this event was an attempt to reconcile his ambition, ideals, and thoughts.

Suman Shekhar, a third-year Journalism undergraduate student at DSJ and a close friend of Prashant’s said, “Prashant always wanted to be a part of the Delhi University election system. He wanted to bust the common notion that only rich students, able to shed 50-60 lakhs, could contest elections here. He wanted to fight elections following the Lyndogh Committee’s guidelines.”

He continued, “He contributed immensely in the entire Stand with DSJ Movement. Even if he had become a journalist, our country would have been graced with one fine journalist.” On asking how big a loss it was for him Suman said, “Personally, I can’t articulate that in words. I knew nobody when I came to Delhi. I always used to hang around with Prashant. Humare liye roz ka din vanvaas jaisa hogaya hai , hum kaat rahe hai bas. (After Prashant’s demise, my life is like an exile now).”

Prashant was on his way to Lucknow to celebrate Diwali on 4th November 2018, when he met with an accident on Yamuna Expressway. He and his two siblings died on spot. Prashant was actively involved in student politics and was associated with the student union of the Samajwadi Party.

“Its really saddening that we had to organise this program. It would have been better had Prashant been around with us today,” said Kawalpreet Kaur. She added, “I feel, the DSJ Movement that Prashant organised was very important because it was  the first movement where students protested against privatisation.”

Rockey Tuseed remembered Prashant’s vivid memories and got emotional while delivering his speech. He said to DU Beat, “When I became the DUSU President, we (I and Prashant) used to have a lot of discussion on the infrastructural problems of DSJ. We have protested together. When I was on a hunger strike, he came along to support me. He was like a younger brother to me.”

A scholarship in memory of Prashant was announced for meritorious students coming to DSJ from economically depressed background for the coming sessions.

 

Feature Image Credits – Mohit Dock

 

Priyanshu

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