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The Not-So-Easy Life Of Saudi Women

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The recent upliftment of driving ban, government’s strategy under the garb of the move and women’s miserable lives – is the battle against patriarchy over in Saudi Arabia?

The recent announcement by the Saudi royal family and officials of the upliftment of ban on women’s driving may seem like an unprecedented victory for Saudi women but it has little to do with their empowerment. Besides, it will be implemented till June 2018.

The sudden news can be anticipated as part of the crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman’s Vision 2020 or a strategy to improve his image internationally after ousting two distinguished prospective crown princes. This ‘radical’ change would improve his stature as a ‘feminist’ thinker and assist him in ascending the throne very soon. But all the applause that is being showered on the royal family is not to be credited to them but those women who struggled for this right since the 1990s and ended up in jails.

During the press release, it was stated that a special committee would be made to chalk out the way to go about implementing this idea of women driving motor vehicles in Saudi Arabia. What is quite startling to note is that this has been issued stating its accordance with the Sharia law and order which according to the officials earlier could damage women’s ovaries and jeopardise their fertility.
First and foremost, the question that arises is the new law’s proper and just implementation, whether the male guardian’s permission still be an obstacle in giving women this freedom and to what extent will they be able to contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Now you must be thinking what this male guardianship is and that is where Saudi women’s real freedom lies. Women in Saudi Arabia cannot travel, marry, get educated, employed or even get a medical surgery done without a male (whether father, husband, son or any other male relative) guardian’s consent. They cannot mingle or even talk with the male fraternity in public barring their guardian(s). Saudi women don’t even have a right over her children beyond age 7 for daughters and 9 for sons. Giving the son the authority to decide the mother’s fate is absolutely appalling and so in line with ancient traditions. Women are considered as mere objects for sexual pleasures.
Women and men all over the world have been trying to escape the shackles of patriarchy and here is a country that is reinstating ancient patriarchy and practically has not entered the 21st-century mindset.

I hope that these women’s lives can be changed similar to the women of Israel and Egypt and also hope you feel proud to be in a country like India.

Feature Image Credits: mintpressnews.com

 

Prachi Mehra
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

The Glamourisation Of Being A Workaholic

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People are prone to estimate their self-worth and efficiency as an employee in terms of the hours they dedicate to work. Being swamped with work is regarded as a fashion statement, a parameter to judge one’s self-worth. How did such a concept popularise and why exactly is it so dangerous?

Capitalistic forces have glamourised over-working in the past half a century. Television regularly shows protagonists staying up all night pouring over files and documents, dedicating their lives to being the model employee, solving problems, achieving feats that no one had previously done before. These people make the idea of being married to one’s job seem desirable. Have you ever seen someone humble-brag about their lack of sleep, their caffeine fuelled lifestyle, in everyday conversation? What is this one thing that makes us proud of slaving away our golden years and why do we want it? The term workaholic sounds pathetic, why do so many of us subconsciously want to be one?

Capitalists have propagated a myth that overworking will make you successful and consequently happier. But unlike what television will tell you the cost of an all-nighter is not just a cup of coffee, some takeaway, and a wrinkled shirt. Popular media will never show the real price of overworking. The sleep you lose, meals you skip, the sick days you work on, the hobbies that you don’t pursue anymore, the resentment, the pain and joyless existence that it ushers are things that nobody talks about. Is it really worth losing all this to become the “Employee of the month” so to speak?

This self-serving corporate ideology- that absolute dedication to your job is the only way to be successful is one big, fat lie. The modern paragons of success- Mark Zuckerberg, JK Rowling, Falguni Nayar and their respective brainchild’s- Facebook, the Harry Potter series, Nykaa were not the result of slaving away to a job. They were the product of a “Eureka” moment that ended up changing the course of their lives. Life-changing ideas do not come from slaving away at a desk job, they come from happiness, creativity and pursuing things you love.

The next time you see someone say they haven’t slept in twenty-four hours because of work, feeling envious, inefficient or being inspired to do the same would be a problematic response. Over-working at the cost of your well-being is neither an achievement nor something to be proud of. Human beings are not efficient machines meant to produce a certain amount of work in a particular time-frame. Do not feel inadequate the next time someone brags about their tiring work, instead remember there is more to life than work. I say- that there is more to life than deadlines and projects and, if by the end of our lives, all our achievements could be summed by promotions and raises, then perhaps we wouldn’t really have lived.

Image credits– Jamie Grill via Getty Images

 

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

 

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Events

The Story of Human Circle and Young India Challenge

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Human Circle, a community of students, professionals and entrepreneurs from different backgrounds, educational fields, and goals will be organising the 9th edition of Young India Challenge (YIC) on the 28th and 29th of October, 2017 in Mumbai. The tagline – #DoWhatYouLove – is an indication of the event’s proceedings. The challenge will be aimed at helping young people in finding their passion in life and connecting it with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Here’s a highlight of an interview with Kamal Seth– the Founder and Chief Happiness Officer of Human Circle and the creator of Young India Challenge. Kamal explains the ‘Why’ ‘What’ and ‘How’ of the organisation and the #DoWhatYouLove movement which has spread to more than a million people already.

Why?

The idea for the #DoWhatYouLove movement took shape in my head during my college years in 2005-08 at DU. I noticed that a lot of my friends were studying what they were not because they were passionate about those subjects but mainly because they cleared the cut-offs. This also meant that after their graduation, they did a job or an MBA to get a good salary and not because they would enjoy what they would do.

Before founding Human Circle, I worked as a recruiter for large organisations like Nestle, Philips, Awesomeness Fest, AIESEC etc and ended up doing 2000+ interviews in approximately 8-10 years. The pattern was very disturbing for me: to interact with people from across different age groups and realise that they were doing something that they didn’t love. In many cases, they were unproductive, unhappy and not content with their career and life in general. In 2014, we found Human Circle to ‘connect enlightened minds’ and drive the #DoWhatYouLove movement.

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What?

In 2014, when we opened applications for the first YIC at IIT Delhi, we surprisingly got 700+ applications within 2 months. We were curious to know what made so many people apply. When we asked the same during the interviews, they shared with us that, YIC’s theme of #DoWhatYouLove connected with them at a deeper level. They wanted to experience something that no other event was offering in Delhi at that point of time.

The biggest challenge we faced during the event was that the room which we booked to start the first session, was occupied by a Professor, who apparently was not informed about YIC. We gathered the 100 delegates of the first ever YIC in the lawns and started the first workshop ‘Turn Your Passion into a Career’ there itself. After 3 hours, we finally got another room to continue the event. This experience made us even more determined to never give up. But the support from the delegates was amazing. They did not complain at all and fully participated in the session, even though it was done without any projector, mikes etc. Since then we have never looked back.

How?

So far, close to 1500 people have attended the 8 YICs that we have organised. Seven in Delhi and one in Mumbai. We are self-funded and therefore have limited resources to invest in building a sophisticated online system to connect people. It is a challenge to keep a track of each and everyone’s experience but many of them stay connected through our online group on Facebook and Whatsapp and physical meet-ups that we have started organising recently. The YIC alumni often share with us how YIC was kind of a push they needed to finally do something about what they love doing. Many have started new societies in their colleges, start-ups, clubs, and projects or went back to a passion area that they had left behind due to academic, parental or other pressures.

Many alumni continue to get guidance by us, our mentors and life coaches. Many pursue their career in the organisation of our mentors, speakers and eco-system partners. We offer recommendation letters to the most deserving candidates and this helps them in receiving admissions and/or scholarships to pursue their higher studies/jobs. More than 150 individuals have also gone through the ‘Happiness Team’ program of Human Circle, where they work as interns and volunteers for the #DoWhatYouLove movement.

It is true that we don’t focus on big brands and names for our programs and events. It’s not that we have a policy to not work with big brands, but we are selective in our choice. For example, in the past, we have invited speakers and mentors from companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Hindustan Unilever, KPMG, Techstars etc. but they came in an individual capacity. YIC is a not for profit, self-sustainable initiative and we want to keep it this way to stay focused on our mission of engaging the young people of India with the #DoWhatYouLove movement. Delegates pay a basic fee which helps us to keep it going. Any surplus that we make gets invested in building our organisational capacity and investing in new cities where YIC should be organised.

By the end of 2017, we would have connected at least 2 million people with the #DoWhatYouLove movement one way or another.

If you also want to have an impactful career of your choice, you can apply for the 9th YIC here – www.youngindiachallenge.com

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Aryabhatta College

Healthy Happy Headspace: TEDx Aryabhatta College

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Team TEDx, AryabhattaCollege organised Healthy Happy Headspace on TEDxGlobalDay to spread awareness about mental illness. TEDxGlobalDay is a one-day initiative by TED aiming towards creating a sustained momentum for local change on a global scale. The programme was divided into three components Watch, Discuss, Activate.
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The exciting day began with a viewing of TEDGlobal, NYC, an inaugural event aiming towards out-of-the-box thinking about world issues, followed by The Human Library event in which the volunteers got to share and discuss their life experiences with fellow team members. The next event was Stress-Free Zone which included many exuberant activities such as musical chairs; art competition, rapid-fire, dance, confessions and a cupcake stall to spread sweetness the world needs. The event was wonderfully carried out.
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Around the Campus

Parivartan In Progress: Students of Sri Venkateswara College

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The students of Sri Venkateswara College took to the roads and metros of the city to spread a word of change.

Being the capital state of the country; the city of Delhi has all the rights in the world to flaunt its extravagance. It has to its attribution- a rich cultural heritage with a pinch of apparent haunting, a tumultuous yet boastful past, a humongous yet solitary diversity, and the tag of a metropolitan. A metropolitan form only the frame to the entire portrait of the city of Delhi; the colors and the strokes come from the lanes and the by-lanes that intersect life in the different parts.

To get a taste of the city and to improve it, the volunteers of ‘Parivartan’- the independent social service society of Sri Venkateswara College- carried out an awareness cum cleanliness drive in different parts of the city. The volunteers were divided into groups and sent to cover several areas in around the metros. Ten places were covered in total, including- Hauz Khas, Rajiv Chowk, Saket, INA, Chandni Chowk, AIIMS, Central Secratariat and Race Course.
All the student volunteers were armed with self-made posters, each of which had very strong messages pertaining to the two issues that were being addressed, namely, food wastage and the upcoming reiteration of the saga of bursting crackers; which at the end of the day leaves the city in deep despair, thereby, turning a blind eye to the blind city.

With the approaching season of Diwali, the amount of crackers burnt becomes quite evident through the aftermath- ‘THE GREAT INDIAN SMOG’ that covers the entire city till winter sets in. The other groups were involved in spreading a word against smoking and littering in public spaces. The presence of two different-coloured dustbins for wet and dry waste was acknowledged. The volunteers also urged the passers-by not to litter their own spaces, thereby, keeping the city clean. After all, Rajpath is not the face of the city!

Slogans like- ‘Burn your ego, not crackers’- were eye-capturing enough to draw a large part of the crowd towards the volunteers. Sharing his experience, Tushar Bhatia, a first year student states, “The drive was an interesting experience. Initially, everything did not go as planned and all of us had to improvise on the spot which made it even better”. From the metro station to the park and through the distributary lanes to the main road till the Red Fort and back; this was the exact course through which Chandni Chowk was covered. The Sun was at its peak and so were the volunteers. The weather only ignited their enthusiasm that could not be dampened by their perspiration or the scent that the hot breeze carried.

Apart from just the ambience, it is quite interesting to note that they got encouragement form the passers-by as well. Prateek Mittal shares, “I felt really good during the drive. I could see that our posters had attracted a lot of attention and people got our message. It felt very nice when a policeman walked up to us and said”, “achchha kaam kar rahe ho” (you are doing a great job)”.
Apart from just interacting, a signature campaign was also carried out- #NoMoreHungerNoMoreShor- wherein, volunteers were seen getting people to sign the chart that they were carrying. The signature campaign added further impetus to the entire drive with people coming up themselves and asking questions regarding the two issues. Slogans like-“What your tongue likes to taste, would you let it go to waste?”- were successful in garnering people’s attention as well as support. The volunteers were successful in dealing with the passers-by in a much matured manner, since, the entire thing was unplanned. The volunteers used heavy statistics that proved their stance like the number of bird-deaths and how it is harmful to the ecology as well. Aparajita Choudhary, a second year student shared, “All Delhiites have been experiencing the smog that covers the city for weeks after Diwali. It was enough to indicate the perils of burning crackers, peril for both humans as well as the ecology. Many people shared with us, their stories of mishandling of crackers that led or could have led to major accidents. Older people reflected apathy since they had lost interest over the years. They expressed that even though it made them irritable, they did not mind saying anything in the interest of the youth”.

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The volunteers experienced helping hands from the crowds as well. There were people who came up to them and upon clarifying their queries, chipped in their ideas as well.

Talking about the effectiveness of the drive; it was definitely a red-letter day event. But a lot of hands need to join to bring about a big change. As Rajat Sharma, a first year student from the same institution puts it, “I guess this initiative was effective as well as highly potential to bring about a change in the society. Those who genuinely wish for the betterment of the society will definitely put their best foot forward. After all, one is enough to make a difference, and we were quite a lot.
As Kamalika Anand, one of the executive heads’ puts it, “This was just the first step”.

Image Credits: Parivartan Society, SVC

Shrija Ganguly
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Why the University of Delhi Is Not As Inclusive As It Seems

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The University of Delhi, with its highly subsidized education and with a plethora of Gender Cells and Enabling Units may look like the ideal place to be but its education pattern and infrastructural facilities are structured in a way that largely benefits able bodied, upper-middle class, privately schooled, English speaking students.

The internet and its spawn twitter have made everyone with an internet access, a potential activist. And with this sense of activism on the internet I came to know about the concept of inclusivity- which is a concept that asks whether an institution, organization or work space is accessible, suitable and does justice to people from all ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds, and gender identities and does not condone ableism. In 2015, Brown University allocated $100 million dollars to make it more inclusive. This shows how globally renowned colleges are doing a reality check of their own hidden biases and it is time DU did the same. Inclusivity in a university space is important because first, invisible barriers in education means putting disadvantaged communities at a greater disadvantage by keeping them away from education and second, students who will learn in a non-inclusive, privilege rewarding environment will tomorrow propagate that kind of behaviour in their respective work spaces, simply because their idea of society in general would be warped and distant from reality, they were never sensitized about their hidden privilege while learning.

Here’s why DU is not all that inclusive and how this affects certain students and communities particularly-

1) Lack of hostels– as of now there are only 15 colleges that have hostels available for undergraduate students in DU. Eight of them are girls hostels, with one of them for foreign students, two boys hostels and only four colleges that have both girls and boys hostels. These hostels can accommodate on an average no more than one-fifty students. When a college student body consists of some four-thousand students, this number appears to be pitiably-low. Since DU attracts students from all over India and in large numbers, it falls upon the shoulders of these students to find appropriate accommodation for themselves. They resort to living in private hostels which cost some Rs. 12,000 on an average. Thus, studying in DU for those not from Delhi/those who don’t get a college hostel is expensive. Ergo, DU is, speaking in general terms, a feasible option only for those who can afford private accommodation. The accommodation issue is one which also makes us question the subsidized nature of DU’s education and make its status as a diverse and accessible university dubious.

2) Lack of uniformity in facilities available for differently abled students and academia– the biggest problem for differently abled students is that there are vast discrepancies in facilities offered to differently abled students. While a handful of top-ranking colleges have ramps, elevators, tactile paths and active enabling unit cells, the remaining don’t. These six or seven colleges act as tokens that make DU appear more democratic and inclusive but in most colleges, differently-abled students continue to suffer because of broken tactile paths, ramps with no railing, no elevators, broken recording machines and limited or no braille libraries.

3) Linguistic barriers- the medium of communication for most classes in DU is English. Majority of students, who hail from a Hindi-medium educational background, find this problematic. They rely on guide books and the help of friendly classmates to tide through lessons. And while professors try to be accommodating, if they held their classes in Hindi alone, students who don’t speak the language would be at a heavy disadvantage. Nanditha Harimohan of Daulat Ram College says” Since I do not speak Hindi, if all my classes were conducted in Hindi I would quickly lose interest and end up assuming things”. This linguistic barrier affects all those who are not fluent in either English or Hindi. Unless the university acknowledges this issue as a legitimate problem, an adequate solution to it will never come by and it will continue to be a conundrum that plagues students.

4) High cut-offs – While each one of us works exceptionally hard for our boards’ percentage, it is important to keep in mind that it is much easier for a student hailing from an urban private school to score 95% in their boards than it is for someone studying from a government school in a far-off village. And while both study diligently, one has an invisible privilege over the others. There is no shame in being privileged but it is essential to acknowledge it. While top universities across the globe take a subjective approach towards determining ones achievement and dedication, this system in our University, which reduces everyone’s individual struggles to a number, to a game where a 0.25 less means heartbreak and crushed dreams is strangely dehumanising. Scoring marks in boards is an objective, soulless process where wealthier students with their ten-year question papers, private tuitions, goals oriented not knowledge oriented studying and guidance on how to study and write answers; will always do better.

5) Good infrastructural facilities offered only in a handful of colleges – The idea of what DU is and what it stands for, for a lot of people across the country is limited to St. Stephens, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Shri Ram College of Commerce and Hindu College. Ceilings have fallen in Daulat Ram College, Hans Raj College and College of Vocational Studies (twice). While certain off-campus colleges or lesser known colleges are crumbling away, authorities remain unconcerned. Basic issues like lack of adequate number of washrooms or a shortage of classrooms is seen in many colleges but these issues remain un-highlighted because leaders and administrators only bother visiting the top six or seven colleges. Narendra Modi visited SRCC, Smriti Irani visited Hindu College but colleges where no major infrastructural improvements have taken place in decades are side-lined and few renowned people in the public eye seem interested in visiting those. A highly subsidized education cannot obviously offer the same kind of amenities that a privately funded education might, but in institutions where basic needs remain unfulfilled, it is impossible for any academic or cultural breakthroughs to take place. These colleges are not neglected for a lack of funds. Out of the Rs.300 crores that has been given to DU by the UGC from 2012 to 2017, only Rs.100 crores was spent and of the remaining amount Rs.105 crores lapsed. So while colleges continue to hike their fees or suffer due to a cash crunch, grant money remains unutilized. If the administration bothered to look at the almost pitiable state of certain colleges, this could have been avoided. This inherent sense of elitism where politicians, actors and famous personalities visit a handful of colleges and remain bothered with only them is discriminatory and not inclusive because it limits the resources the rest of the student body has access to.
A College of Vocational Studies student has the same right to sit in a classroom, where ceilings do not fall on their head as a St. Stephens student does. Elevators for wheelchair bound students are needed in every college, not just the five most renowned ones. Everyone deserves the opportunity to study in the University of Delhi, not just those who can choose to spend two-lakh rupees annually as PG rent due to lack of hostels. A student hailing from a small village in Eastern Uttar Pradesh and studying in a government school worked hard for her 85% in boards and deserves the same chance to study in DU as another 95% hailing from an ISC affiliated private school’s student. It is important that both the student body and administration work actively in order to make DU a make inclusive space. Our responsibility towards making the world more inclusive is not limited to sharing dramatic tumblr posts about lack of people in the Trump cabinet. While that is certainly important but our responsibility also extends to and includes our immediate surroundings, our colleges, our workspaces, our films and pop-culture and our environment.

Image Credits: Equal Opportunities Cell, University of Delhi website

Kinjal Pandey
[email protected]

 

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DUB Speak

In the Age of Phone-Fare

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In this fast pacing age of timeless technology, it is almost inevitable to entirely disassociate oneself from gadgetry and ingenious devices. Our acquired (or maybe, innate) dependency on the same is what has led us to become slaves to our own creation. While it would be absolutely bizarre to say that we can do without it, it does make sense to insinuate a counterbalanced usage. A mobile phone is one contraption that we are tied to endlessly, owing to the virtual reality that we are all a part of today. Be it informal communication via WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger or formal interaction through e-mails, the virtual world has us hooked in more ways than just one.

WhatsApp, the supposed mother of all evils, stems from a very ingenious idea, ideally introduced to facilitate cross-platform instant messaging between two parties or more, in the shortest possible time and without any additional tariffs as against the ones incurred on carrier-billed text messaging. It is immensely useful and rightfully serves the purpose for which it had been materialised in the first place. However, with over 1.3 billion active users, WhatsApp yields as many media junkies as does cocaine. Instagram, the abode of wanderlust and a platform for artsy dispositions, ranks first in the list of the most detrimental applications for the youth, closely followed by Snapchat on number two, according to a new report by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK.

In a society, driven by those who monopolise the economy through media, it would not be particularly wrong to suggest that a mobile phone serves as the catalyst in reworking a downward spiral. Smartphones, as we are all equipped with, come with its myriad features, aimed at generating revenue through its applications. This especially holds true in today’s time and age where everything is digitalised — from grocery lists, e-retail orders, web articles, PDF formats of scholarly books to online newspapers, e-fitness routines and basic utilitarian applications. Whilst the increasing fundamentalism of the digital age can also be viewed under the fancy radar of tantalisation, it is far more important to trace down its ill implications. Apart from being specifically harmful to the visual faculties of an individual, it also visibly demonstrates a negative impact on the mental well-being of people.

FOMO -the Fear Of Missing Out, is a pervasive apprehension that others might be having rewarding experiences from which one is absent”. This social anxiety is characterised by “a desire to stay continually connected with what others are doing”. It is a legitimate phenomenon that urges people to frequently check their news feed on their social media handles and instills a sense of perpetual apprehension in addicts. It looms large over their insecurities and distorted identities and uses it as an assemblage to emasculate thinking minds. The need to check one’s phone regularly within short time intervals, regardless of any profound agenda and falling prey to false intuitions about activity on the same, are certain influences that a gadget as enslaving as a mobile phone can have on its customer.

Dr. Sally Andrews, a psychologist at Nottingham Trent University, told The Huffington Post that young adults use their smart phones twice as many times as they think they do which implies that its usage transcends the realm of consciousness and is a habitual pursuit of an average individual. Once imprisoned into this insurmountable lair of validation, it gets utterly difficult to break free from it. It will eventually start hindering an individual’s personality as well as professional life. As they say, old habits die hard, it is important to not let this tech-madness garner uncensored proclivity.

With both its pros and cons outweighing each other, it is the responsibility of its able users to tell right from wrong. As we are moving towards a progressively digital epoch, it is our duty to use the resources available at our disposal, fittingly.

Image Credits:  LinkedIn

 

Lakshita Arora

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DUB News

Students Detained For Protesting At Jantar Mantar

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The Delhi Police on Thursday detained nine students of the Banaras Hindu University, including a woman, who were on their way from Jantar Mantar to the Prime Minister’s official house to submit a memorandum at the Pancharipuri Police Station. However, no charges were being slapped against them. The students are members of the recently constituted Joint Action Committee (JAC) at BHU, who sought to make an appointment with the PM.

“When we could not get the appointment we decided to submit the memorandum to his Secretary. We were at Race Course when police detained us. We were simply walking at Race Course Road and there was no protest. We kept on asking them about the ground over which we were arrested, however, police did not say anything. I was made to sit in a bus even as there was no female constable with them at the time of the detention” said Mineshi Mishra, a BHU student. The students also complained that the police threatened them.

Senior Delhi police officers revealed the students had been protesting for the last three days. “When they tried to march towards the PM’s residence eight boys were detained and later let off and another girl, who was along with them, was released then and there as it was getting dark. We have not told any students to return to Banaras,” said BK Singh, DCP, New Delhi, as reported by DNA India.

Image Credits– DNA India

 

Ankita Dhar Karmakar
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Events

Gender and Media: From Margins to Mainstream

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The Women’s Development Cell (WDC) of Shivaji College, in its efforts to generate awareness about gender equality, organized a workshop entitled ‘Gender and Media: From Margins to Mainstream ‘ on September 19, 2017, in collaboration with Breakthrough and Alliance India. 
Ms. Simran Sheikh representing  Alliance India, a not-for-profit Indian organisation with expertise in a range of disciplines including HIV, sexual & reproductive health, human rights, resource mobilisation, and advocacy to name a few, enlightened the students with her words. She engrossed the audience in her interactive session, starting with a question – “Who am I?”
Pointing towards the society and their acceptance of the ‘other gender’, she said that they can call her ‘A woman with a Man’s voice’, and also said, “Just because I am wearing a sari does not mean I am a woman.” She continued with the idea that in their community, their identity is expressed by their claps or plating. “Meri pehchan tali hai,” she said. She pondered over the idea of this identity in a society. She also elaborated how culture,  traditions, family, and neighbours bind us in some specific roles, admitting “although it’s  not bad to follow them,” their imposition certainly becomes a problem. She reinforced the fact that one must not be judgmental on seeing another person’s appearance. Her community, she believes, is “visible yet invisible”. In the end, she concluded with a trio vision of “Inclusion, Humanity, and Justice”.
The other guests, Mr. Pavel Sagolsem and Ms. Priyanka Sinha from Breakthrough, enlightened the students about the role of media in gender discrimination in India. They explained how a non-profit organisation challenges the status quo and takes bold action for the dignity, equality, and justice of all. The interactive session also included a bunch of videos explaining the audience how advertisements can bring a change in the outlook of the society towards many orthodox norms. Ring the bell, Titan Raga, and many other ad campaigns which have been seen on television over the years, were shown. In this session, the speakers also took inputs from the audience about their thoughts on these videos, and how they felt about the ads. Few volunteers from the audience weredivided into groups and were asked to prepare an advertisement on gender equality. The volunteers took up the task with great enthusiasm and witnessed great work from young creative minds. The speakers ended their session with a hope thatwould help the young minds change to a path of equality and justice to all.
The interactive session brought a change in the vision of the students,inclining them to mull over the mainstream norms.
Image credits: Team WDC, Shivaji College
Team WDC, Shivaji College
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DUB Speak

Hegemony in College Elections

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What are the factors affecting college elections and how they put the average student with political aspirations at a disadvantage?

It is important to keep in mind that student life and the functioning of a college is largely influenced by the elected student representatives.  These members wield immense power over the day-to-day functioning of the college. They have an essential say in everything ranging from the cultural events to be organized, the fests, facilities offered to students and more. For a lot of students, this is an opportunity to actively participate in student governance, and have a say in how the administration runs. It is important to keep into account that in politics, the beam always tilts heavily towards the side that has money, muscle power and influence at its disposal.

And while it would have been naïve to assume that college elections in the University of Delhi (DU) are free from these influences, the extent of power these factors exert is shocking.

1) Hostellers vs Day scholars                                                                               

It seems that in the College union elections, the beam always tilts heavily towards hostellers. Student’s studying in DU College’s that have both a hostel and elected students union know that in most cases, as far as elections are concerned, hostellers are at an added advantage. They have the benefit of not just being physically present on the campus at all times which allows them to contribute effectively and easily for the college welfare but also gain traction over scholars over the same. The fact that they are present in college at all times allows them to participate more actively in college activities. Hosteller’s also had a closely knit network and support group which opens up more avenues for them. The relevance of being a hosteller is particularly more in college’s that are not affiliated to DUSU, since this reduces the influence of political groups. Sanchita from the Daulat Ram College Hostel says “ day scholars are at a disadvantage because they can’t be present on campus 24*7. Hostellers are more available during fest season and other events which puts them at an advantage”

2) Student political groups

Another major factor influencing college elections is the association with parent parties and organizations that help create background support. Recently Chattra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing won 25 seats out of the 28 seats it fielded its candidates on, across DU. ABVP and NSUI are key players in these elections. A lot of support from parent parties is covert and goes into the background. Building traction, getting contacts, organizational support during the campaigning period are all ways in which these parties contribute and influence college elections. While this kind of backing may not be very public and may seem irrelevant, it ends up influencing elections in a major way. It is especially relevant in Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) affiliated colleges, where student political groups help leaders in their campaign to win college elections and subsequently these students help them in DUSU elections. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the parties into gaining supporters.

3) Regional sentiment

Regional sentiment plays a significant role in these elections. A student belonging to a particular region is more likely to support a candidate from the same place.  Not just that the idea of community and regional pride runs deep in the conscience of the majority. Recently a video was seen on social media which showed the celebrations post the victory of Shivam Bhadana as the President of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College Morning. The victory was seen as not just the candidate’s but also his community’s, it seemed. Statements like #GurjarPower and “Gurjar is king “could be seen in the comments section, which showed how relevant community lines are for a lot of voters. Student politics does not exist in isolation and the kind of regional sentiment that is central in all aspects of national politics, cannot miraculously be absent from universities. A source from KMC that chose to stay anonymous says “This regional idea is very internal, it’s not really broadcasted with people saying things like- we are from Haryana or we are from UP, but it’s there and it has a big role to play”.

4) Wealth 

A bevy of SUVs, music, crackers to celebrate victory and the occasional brightly coloured sports car is a frequent sight at off-campus colleges during election season. Candidates charm voters by their army of loyal supporters, their flashy automobiles and the slogans, drums, and claps that accompany them, each attesting to their popularity and influence. These shiny toys come with a shock value and they provide the student body all the more reasons to talk about the candidate. It is an effective way to generate interest and grab eyeballs. To add to that election costs include the cost of posters, hoardings, pamphlets and more. These banners and hoardings are ripped out and damaged by rival candidates and their supporters and need to be replaced regularly. These additional costs that come with contesting and winning elections acts as a barrier that filters out the majority of students. It is a primary reason why student unions’ are not as effective as they ideally should be. These candidates, with wealth and resources at their disposal, may not always be able to comprehend and relate to the struggles of the average student, which makes them ineffective as leaders. Students with an active interest in politics and a desire to contribute to change are dissuaded from pursuing it because more often than not, these factors passively work against them. A lot of debate has been going about around the idea that student politics has somehow lost its relevance. Student politics has not and will not lose its relevance but it has become ineffective and the marginal benefits gained from it are continuously decreasing. The first step to making it more effective would be realising how it has become an elite institution which heavily favours a small group of students, where everybody does not stand an equal chance. Once this insight is present in the student body at large, they will be less likely to fall prey to tried-and-tested election campaigning tricks and this would allow more dedicated students with political aspirations to pursue their goals.

 

Feature image credits: Facebook page of Shivam Bhadana

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

 

 

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