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Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual, and that stands for a centralised autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

 

In the process of looking up the above definition on Merriam-Webster’s website, I’ve made my contribution towards making fascism Webster’s ‘Word of the Year.’ The word that has been looked up the maximum number of times on the website receives that prestigious position of word of the year. While announcing the likelihood that fascism may become its word of the year, Merriam-Webster took to Twitter to send out an entreaty-“there’s still time to look something else up.”

In related news, Oxford Dictionary has declared ‘post-truth’(relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief) its word of the year, while dictionary.com has gone with xenophobia (dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries). The pattern is hard to miss.

Why this fuss about a ‘word of the year,’ you ask? They tend to reflect the socio-political situation we are currently faced with, though to a largely limited extent. A single word fails to capture the plurality of experiences across the world, but does serve as a mirror image of the ideas that are bandied about in conversations or in the media, virtual or otherwise.

While 2016 cannot be described in a word, our concern lies primarily with the circumstances that have led several thousand across the world to take to the internet and find out what ‘fascism’ or ‘xenophobia’ might mean. Acknowledging such words as ‘words of the year’ would involve accepting the unfortunate idea that such circumstances predominate in the minds of a large number of people, and this can be a scary prospect when it comes to terms like fascism. The world definitely hasn’t forgotten what happened the last time fascism gained ground as an ideology.

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, the United Nations human rights Chief, claims that, “The rhetoric of fascism is no longer confined to a secret underworld of fascists meeting in illicit clubs. It is becoming part of normal daily discourse. In some parts of the USA and Europe, anti-foreigner rhetoric full of unbridled vitriol and hatred, is proliferating to a frightening degree.” This rhetoric is evident in Donald Trump’s plan to build an “impenetrable, tall, physical, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall” between the USA and Mexico, and in his suggestion of a ‘register’ for Muslims.

Though Trump occupies pride of place in the media, he isn’t the only one sounding the death knell for liberalism. European politicians like Germany’s Frauke Petry and Sweden’s Jimmie Akesson have been consistently opposed to ‘open-door’ refugee policies. An 89-year old survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp recently took to the internet to appeal to people not to vote for a far-right Austrian politician, Norbert Hofer, as their President. She draws similarities between Hofer’s politics and fascism of the pre-second world war period. There have been allegations that India is also currently experiencing fascist undercurrents.

Though Trump has the backing of the people of a democratic nation, having been elected President in a valid election, similarities have also been drawn between Trump’s politics and that of Hitler’s. These similarities, seen not just in Trump but also in several politicians across the world, can be quite appalling.

Maybe looking up other words will help avoid the negativity associated with fascism and xenophobia? But doesn’t the “fear of a name increase fear of the thing itself?”

Maybe we should all look up tolerance instead. Our collective amnesia seems to prevent us from recalling what it means.

 Image credits: Uproxx

Abhinaya Harigovind
[email protected]

 

 

 

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when hear the word ‘South Korea’? Is it Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’? Well, most of us have certainly danced to this tune without even understanding what he was trying to convey, but K-POP is not just limited to this tune. In fact, Korean wave or Hallyu as Koreans call it has marked its presence in the global music industry for at least 6 years now.

The Korean singers’ eccentric style-sense, ingenious approach to music, talented voices, on point choreography and not to forget their irresistible cute-faces, has certainly set K-Pop apart from other genres. So, let us look at 3 K-pop bands which are stealing the hearts around the world and leading the Korean wave at this very moment!

EXO

The largest band after Super-Junior, this band has 12 members and is equally divided in two parts – EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Mandarin). EXO with its mixture of Korean and Chinese culture made its debut in 2012 through S.M. Entertainment and has a strong fan-base with each member having about 3 million followers each on Instagram.
They’ve been hailed as the ‘biggest boy band in the world’ by many media outlets due to their knife-point choreography which gels well with their songs. They’ve received numerous awards till now with their first solo concert being sold out in 1.47 seconds which is the fastest for any Korean artist ever.
This is the band whose boys will surely win your hearts with their strong personalities and talent as they concoct magic in each album! EXO has just released its fifth extended play For Life on 19th December, 2016. Go, check it out!

exo

BTS

BTS is a seven member band, also known as ‘Bangtan Boys’. They debuted in 2013 with their first album 2 Cool 4 Skool, for which they won several “New Artist of the Year” awards including those at the 2013 MelOn Music Awards and Golden Disk Awards, and the 2014 Seoul Music Awards.
Time and again they’ve surpassed themselves and have recently clinched their second daesang for ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards in row. They have a strong international fan-base due to their strong and myriad range of personalities and talented members. They’ve also managed to dominate the worldwide music charts with their Most Beautiful Moment in Life trilogy and also became the most retweeted artist in March 2016 following which twitter launched its first K-pop emoji featuring BTS. Follow them for some Hip-hop and R&B tunes, in addition with young-cute guys role-playing as tough bad boys or just their usual adorable selves!

bts

GOT7

GOT7 is K-Pop which borders closely on hip-hop. It was formed in 2014 following which they won several New Artist awards at various award shows. The group consists of seven members including JB, JR, Mark, Jackson, BamBam, Yugyeom and WIN.
GOT7 took China by storm with Asia Style Best Influence Group. They have been twice nominated in MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Korean Act Category. They’ve recently released their first Japanese studio album, Moriagatteyo. They are the newest talent in the list and something to wait and watch for as they are steadily rising to fame. Their performances on stage are grabbing eyeballs all over the world as they include “martial arts tricking”.

got7

 Image Credits:
upload.wikimedia.org
http://cdn0.dailydot.com/
http://kprofiles.com/
Feature Image Credits:
http://www.createwebquest.com/

Nidhi Panchal
[email protected]

“I no more need cash in my college. We pay through our ID cards everywhere within the campus” exclaimed Akankshya, a student pursuing B.Com in Lakshmibai College, as she flashed her new identity card which bears a bar code. In a step towards promoting digital transactions and encouraging Information and Communication Technology(ICT) based learning, Lakshmibai College has introduced new identity cards, through which students can make payments at all places within the campus. The identity cards that earlier used to be a gate pass for the college students, are now their food pass too!Provided they have money in their cards,of course.

Akanshya, student of Lakshmibai College
Kriti Thakur, a student of Lakshmibai College

The new cards can be used to make payments at the college library, canteen, photocopy shop and office. Students can load money in their ID cards through the website or the college’s android application. Then, they can use this money within the campus according to their own requirements. At all the points of payments, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is used which scans the bar code present in the card and deducts the amount from the card. This initiative was launched as a joint venture between the college and Bank of India, which also operates a branch within the college campus.

According to many teachers and students, this initiative is the brainchild of Dr. Pratyush Vatsala, the principal of the college, who has taken several initiatives towards improving the digital infrastructure of the college. She says, “We wanted to increase the utility of the card, and thought why not make it usable for payments within the campus, so we added the cashless payment option to it. We’re the first college in all of DU to have introduced such a move.”

The cards have been colour coded to signify the students’ year. The first year students have purple-and-white cards, the second year students have blue-and-white cards, and the third year students have maroon-and-white cards. Those who hold positions in college societies have tri-colour bands on the cards.

“Our college began this initiative much before the demonetization was announced by our Prime Minister,” said Dr. Sucheta Gauba, a faculty member from the college. Speaking about the new initiative she insisted that this could be an example for other colleges of Delhi University to go cashless. She also said about various other initiatives that the college has undertaken for increasing digitalization of the facilities. The college has developed an app through which teachers can post crucial updates regarding classes, distribute assignments and students can even order food from the college canteen.

As our country is trying to come to terms with the sudden push of GoI towards a digital economy, this unique initiative by Lakshmibai College authorities is an example for other colleges of Delhi University, which are figuring out ways to create cashless campus by 12th of January, 2017 to fulfill the new order issued by the Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry and promote a digital economy.

Srivedant Kar
[email protected]

Image Credits (both): hindustantimes.com

After we usher in the New Year with celebrations and smiles, January comes and brings with it the annual Jaipur Literature Festival. In 2017, Jaipur Literature Festival completes 10 years of its inception under the directors, Nandita Gokhale and William Dalrymple. This annual fest has been described as the ‘grandest literary fests of them all’. In 2017, the fest will be held from the 19th to 23rd of January, making it

a grand affair of 5 days. The venue, as every year, is the grand Diggi Palace. So, if you and your friends are planning a trip to Jaipur to attend ‘JLF’ this year, here’s a list of 5 things you must do!

  1. Plan and Book in Advance: Every year, JLF attracts thousands of people from over the world in January to attend their events. Booking and planning in advance for this trip is very important to avoid any rushed decisions and planning mishaps. Book your train, plane or roadways tickets well in advance, as the travel options get crowded as every day goes by. Book your hotel well in advance as well, this way you would not have to pay steep prices for mediocre rooms. Remember that Jaipur has a surplus of tourists at this point of the year, so prepare your lodging, eating and travel for a smoother experience.

 

  1. Attend the Brilliant Speaker Sessions: JLF boasts of brilliant speakers who come from all over the world. All of these speakers are celebrated authors and individuals who have gained massive respect in their field of writing over the years. This year JLF will be host to authors like Anuja Chauhan, Ashvin Sanghi, Chitra Bannerjee Divakaruni, Deepa Agarwal, Keki Daruwalla, Mallika Dua, Manju Kapur, Mark Tully, Neelesh Mishra, Prasoon Joshi, Richard Flanagan, Sadia Dehlvi, Sitaram Yechury and Vikram Chandra to name a few.

 

  1. Gastronomic Satisfaction: Jaipur is a city of feasts. Luckily, for those of you, who would want to do more activities apart from the fest, can head out to Jaipur City to eat and shop. Johri Bazar is one of the most famous markets which has an array of foods and shopping centres on offer. Indulge in some delicious Pyaaz ki Kachori, Dal ki Kachori, Ghevar and Badam Milk along with tons of shopping bags in your hand. A great option here would be Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar in Johri Bazar. The grounds of Diggi Palace too, have a huge number of food stalls to satiate your palate.

 

  1. Interact and Make Friends: JLF is known for being host to all kinds of people, from all across the globe. While you attend speaker sessions, or go up to their sunlit roof to grab a quick lunch, everyone around you will be comfortable and eager to chat. For all you bibliophiles, get ready to meet fellow readers who would immerse you in their conversations and for all you non-readers, get ready to meet people who are there to just have a good time and not necessarily attend sessions and book signings. It is truly, a wonderful mix of people from everywhere.

 

  1. Book Signings!: One of the truly fun parts about JLF is attending book signings by your favourite authors. The size of the line depends on the popularity of the author, yet the lines are always long. In 2016, the book signings of Margaret Atwood and Gulzar took about an hour each, and yet some people could not get a signed book! So look over the speaker list on the JLF site and check whether your favourite author will be in attendance, carry a book by them in your luggage and stand in line to get it signed by them during JLF!

 

The Jaipur Literature Festival is an experience all students must be a part of once in their lives. So book your tickets, pack your bags and head to JLF this year for an experience of a lifetime.

Photo Credits: JLF website (https://jaipurliteraturefestival.org)

-Joyee Bhattacharya
[email protected]

Stereotyping of certain communities in the media creates a flux between the mainstream (predominantly white) perception, and the community’s own perception of itself.

Back in 2015, when Priyanka Chopra was not the iconic Alex Parrish of Quantico, her Hollywood career had already begun with a forceful message—she wanted to break the ‘Indian’ stereotype in Hollywood. In an interview with the Cosmopolitan that year, she made her rage evident at every Indian character being forced to resemble Apu from The Simpsons in one or the other way. Aziz Ansari, despite having been in the industry for quite some time now, feels that there is still a lack of ‘variety’ where roles for Indians are concerned. According to him, it becomes natural for the viewers to emulate a mainstream, predominantly white assumption that the ‘Indian guy’ can never get a lady. And this is probably close to Kunal Nayyar essaying the role of Raj in the earlier seasons of The Big Bang Theory too. But is it all true?

Come to think of it, breaking stereotypes is fast becoming a stereotype in itself. The struggle to shatter the glass ceiling has become important not just for Indians, but also for Black, Native American, Latin and other Asian artists.The marginalised constantly feel an urgent need to assert their marginalisation in the media. TV shows like Black-Ish and Fresh Off the Boat do it through humour. Others do it through irony. And yet, the audience’s response to the issue remains curiously double-sided. While a serious film like 12 Years A Slave garners critical acclaim, Black-Ish is attacked for harping upon the ‘blackness’ of its lead characters. The very first episode of its first season, in fact, revolved around a dichotomy between the white and black community’s perceptions of blackness. Andre Jr. fits neither. Finally, though, he discovers his own individuality in a society pressurizing him to fit neatly into one or the other stereotype.

The pressure to fit in has been a constant companion in this arena, acting simultaneously opposite the upward thrust aimed at shattering the glass ceiling. For every viewer who embraces the concept of the Modern Family, there is somebody criticising Sofia Vergara’s portrayal of a feisty Latina. Despite her vehement claims that she merely emulates her aunts,her acting is branded as a stereotype.What actually is a product of observing the behaviour of real, strong Latin women in her own family, then gets attached to the notion of superficiality. A stereotype for some, that portrayal is not so for Vergara herself, who has become nothing short of a mouthpiece for Latin women on television. And this is a simple fact often ignored.

So the real question is: who decides what the actual stereotype is? Even if the community gets that vote, certain individuals within the marginalised community may still get pushed back against the wall. In this struggle against stereotyping on the basis of skin tone, language, hair colour, accents and what-not, how easy is it to forget the struggle of individuals?

Image Credits:culturalconflict.files.wordpress.com
Caption: Mixed Bowl

Deepannita Misra
[email protected]

 

 

Carrying the urge to visit the place where he “ate, slept and lived” during his time at Hindu College, Saqib Saleem was seen surveying the corridors to find the markers that seem to have vanished. “The college seems changed, I am trying to find the familiar spots to recollect memories”, remarked the ‘Mere Dad ki Maruti’ actor.

He ultimately pitched his feet in the familiar space of the college ground, chuckling, “the ground wasn’t this lush back then, I still have bruises of sustaining injuries while making dives.” Saleem, who is in the city for the shoot of a movie where he plays a gym trainer from Lajpat Nagar, was part of the college cricket team. Saleem has also represented Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi in cricket.

With an inquiring gaze, he turns towards Jai Pal Singh, his college cricket coach, who pilots him, to know if the tube-well, where the “cricket boys” used to bathe after their practice, was still there. In a firm manner, Singh enunciates, “There are two of them now.” Only that, they’re used to water the field now and haven’t hosted a player in a long time. The glorious days of Hindu College cricket team are gone, laments Singh. Other sports like football and basketball are at the helm and the field looks greener. Whoever feeds off the tube-well sustains.

“You won’t believe how I ended up in Mumbai. I was dating a senior who later went to Mumbai to be an actress. I went to stay with her as she said long distance won’t work. We broke up in three months. I stayed back, became an actor.” However, before becoming an actor, he also worked with brands like Pepsi and KFC in advertisements, featuring in an ad with Ranbhir Kapoor as well.

“During his admission interview, we asked for his father’s occupation. He mentioned his father’s restaurant chain. Both the ends met as it was lunch time and we were hungry”, recalls Singh. Saleem inquired the college Prime Minister if BA Programme, the course he pursed at the college, still called the ‘BA-AP course’. The latter nodded.

In a college punctuated by new infrastructure, the actor was finally elated at being told about the familiar Manish Bread pakode waala, who still caters to both the cricketers and other students.

 

Sidharth Yadav
[email protected]

 

As much as everyone loves lounging around at home at every opportunity, the inevitable truth about holiday breaks is the eventual boredom that kicks in at the one week mark. Most seasoned cinephiles would have watched what I like to call the “underwear” of cult films, ranging from Annie Hall to Inglorious Bastards but these 10 films are classics (not in terms of age) which are not talked about as frequently. They aren’t unheard of, just not as popular. So hopefully you’ll find something new to keep you from vegetating this winter.

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

 Primer (2004)

It’s considered one of the most complicated science fiction movies out there but don’t let this or the fact that it’s a low budget independent production put you off. If you feel like your brain needs a jolt then this skillfully made film about time travel is like double espresso shot in movie form.

primer - cinema quad movie poster (1).jpg

 Blade Runner (1982)

A film that will probably leave you with a completely different perspective on love, life and perhaps the entire genre of science fiction; it is Ridley Scott at his best. It’s centered on bioengineered androids called Replicants who have been implanted with false memories. And no, it’s nothing like Scarlett Johansson’s latest, Ghost in the Shell.

bladreunner

 Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

An absolute treat for the eyes, this beautifully scary Spanish film is sure to leave you in awe. It’s one of those films that you’ll hold dear to your heart and will become a special memory. The story of a girl in the middle of civil unrest and her encounters with mythical creatures; an ingenious symbiosis of history, fantasy with a touch of darkness. Stay away if you’re expecting Narnia.

pans-labyrinth

Animation

 Mary and Max (2009)

Animation as a genre can be very circular in terms of its cheery happy-go-lucky outward character and being ensconced in moralistic happy endings. But in some cases it deals with heavier themes that desperately need addressing while being in equally endearing claymation format. It’s about pen pals with their widely contrasting yet converging circumstances.

mary_and_max-1440x900

 The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

An odd one to say the least, this film is so wonderfully cute and surreal at the same time; never thought those two adjectives could be clubbed together but this movie is proof. Unusual animation, dialogue-free and nothing like you’ve ever watched before. A tiny French grandma on a quest to rescue her kidnapped grandson, it’ll make you think, “What on earth am I watching?”, but remind yourself that those are the best kinds of films.

tripletsofbelleville

 My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

If you like feeling warm and fuzzy once in a while, this is definite must watch. An iconic film about two sisters and their interactions with a giant, outlandish, cute spirit called Totoro and other friendly forest spirits. Watch this with your younger sibling for a delightful time. It’s not run-of-the-mill and will definitely make you nostalgic about your childhood.

my-neighbor-totoro

Others

 Heathers (1988)

If you enjoy black comedy and clueless-esque films then you’ll surely find this thoroughly compelling. It’s not your Mean Girls, it’s much better. Veronica is stuck in a trio of uber popular, stuck up and cruel girls (all named Heather) and she is desperate to get out.

heathers

  Amélie (2001)

This whimsical romantic comedy is nothing like you’ve ever seen before. It’s sweet, vibrant and thematically rich. The actress Audrey Tautou is an absolute pleasure to watch as she plays a girl with a quirky mission who inadvertently finds love. If I had to represent this film in dessert form, it would be a souffle. Need I say more?

amelie

 Roman Polanski’s “Apartment Trilogy”

If you still haven’t moved beyond Hitchcock when it comes to the psychological horror genre, this would be the place to start. This isn’t an official trilogy but these are three films – Repulsion (1965), Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Tenant (1976) – which share the same setting, an apartment. It’s giving you the creeps already right? I suggest going into these blind, so do not rotten tomatoes these!

apartment-trilogy

Bonus

 Angels in America (2003)

Well, I’m cheating because this isn’t technically a movie. It’s an HBO miniseries. Set in 1985 New York in the middle of the AIDS crisis with a fantastic cast consisting of Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson and other lesser known but equally talented actors, the movie is a multi-faceted politico-religious masterpiece to say the least. It’s one of those things that you keep revisiting and dissecting to discover a new hidden theme each time.

angles-in-america

 

Feature Image credits:  epicpew.com

Image credits: Google Images

Debashree Unni
[email protected]

Every year with winter arriving, our newspapers greet us with reports of overcrowded night shelters. If you take a night walk around Chandni Chowk or Delhi Gate, you will come across many people sleeping on the streets on cold nights.

This winter, the makers of  ‘1 Mile’- an android app have decided to do something for those people in winter distress. In a kind gesture, warm winter hoodies were distributed among the rickshaw pullers of North Campus who often have to sleep in their rickshaws at night. These black hoodies have a graphic code on the back of their hoodies, scanning which you can download the app. “We wanted to help them beat the chilly winters, and this was an innovative way to market the app” said Saurav Soni, who is the maker of the app.  Around north campus, rickshaw pullers handle a large section of the public transport with an exception of the e-rickshaws. Nevertheless, the app’s attempt to address a social problem is winning a lots of hearts around.

‘1 Mile’ is an android app that connects all the people who are present within a radius of 1 mile from each other. It is more of a digital bulletin board for people to transmit important messages around the locality. Its users can give shout outs to other users within the radius of 1 mile around them. With the help of this app you can locate a lost pet, report traffic news, find misplaced stuff and pass on important information around the college campus.

With the fest season approaching and numerous events lined up around the campus, this app can be a great platform to reach out to students and societies around.

The app can be downloaded at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fame.plumbum.chataround&hl=en

Here is a detailed video of how the app works: https://youtu.be/0IffP25yqW4

 

 

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

The Delhi International Queer Theatre and Film Festival (DIQTFF) was held on the 10th and 11th of  December 2016. It was a two-day event at the NCUI Auditorium organised by ‘Harmless Hugs’ and ‘Love Matters’, and witnessed a heavy footfall of the LGBTQ diaspora, as well as allies. The event showed ‘rainbow love’ in all its vivacity and through different paradigms.

Day One began with addresses by the Deputy High Commissioner of Canada, Jess Button, and Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil. Following this was a stirring act, ‘Pehchaan’, by Asmita Theatre Group. Messages such as “Baatein kuch meri teri iski uski hain, baatein pyaar ki hain”, discarded homophobia by touching on the audience’s nerves. The “In The Mood For Love” documentary celebrated innocent love stories of several gay and lesbian couples. Short films such as “Tere Mere Darwaze”, “Satrangi”, and “5 Questions” canvassed various stigmas and prejudices, as well as violence, that the LGBTQ community goes through. “Tanishq” emotionally pitched the physiological needs of the community, which only asks for the freedom to express love in any way they want. It thus glorified the versatility of love.

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After the lunch break, Oxani Chi and Layla Zami presented “I Step On Air”, a musical dance and theatre performance inspired by the works of the feminist poet, performer, and activist May Amin. Their captivating performance depicted the experiences and struggles of women and of people of colour through dance, spoken word poetry, saxophones, and newspapers. Next was a nukkad natak titled “Hum Toh Bolenge” by the Sangwari Theatre Group. The play was a sarcastic and a direct onslaught on the absence of queer issues in our society and on society’s absurd narratives. The hard-hitting performance received a standing ovation and immense applause from the audience.

Later in the day, Sahil Verma, editor of the Harmless Hugs book, introduced the audience writers, who began an interactive session where terms such as ‘asexual’ and ‘intersex’ were explained and discussed. Following this, the literary and Bollywood stalwart Piyush Mishra launched the Harmless Hugs book, a queer anthology. He performed his profound poetry, including “Paanch saal ki ladki aur rape” and “Kuch ishq kiya kuch kaam kiya. The session ended with a sing-along of “Husna”.

The last performance of the day was Asmita Theatre Group’s “Lihaaf”, based on an Urdu work by Ismat Chughtai. The tale of a little girl and her innocent understanding of a queer relationship was appreciated by the audience with another standing ovation, bringing the first day of DIQTFF 2016 to a close.

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Day Two of the DIQTFF began with a video message from Kalki Koechlin, who offered her support to the event and identified the need for more art centered around the LGBTQ community. There were then movie screenings of short films that humanised the community by showing the difficulties that LGBTQ people face. There was a focus on gay men and on transgenders, such as in the movies “That’s My Boy” and “AMORfo”. Following this was a video compilation of parents talking about their experiences with their LGBTQ children, and their process of acceptance. The “My Child Is Gay” video struck a nerve with memorable statements from some of the parents such as “All I wanted was his happiness”. The audience members then shared their own experiences of coming out or of their children coming out.

There was a short informal chat with Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, who talked about people’s reactions to his coming out, revealing that even people who respected the royal family had burnt his effigies. However, he said that he blamed their ignorance and that “it is always possible to change homophobia into understanding”.

After lunch, one of the highlights were Amit and Amit, who performed two spectacular dances. The first of these showed the story of a transgender man who is kicked out of his house by his father, and is then forced to beg on the streets. Finally, through dance, he finds happiness and his father invites him back home and feeds him.

lrm_export_20161211_122608

One of the last events of the day was the play “Libaas” by the Saitan Theatre Group. The play innovatively had two characters, a boy and a girl, who turn out to be the same person in the end. The transgender man comes out to his parents as a girl, and the journey is truly beautiful. After the closing ceremony, in which the partners of the event were felicitated, Asmita Theatre Group concluded the two-day festival. Shilpi Marhwaha performed a one-woman show that portrayed the realities of being a lesbian in India, continuously facing not only society’s but also one’s own family’s backlash. The play elicited tears and laughter from the audience, and by the end everyone was moved and awarded a standing ovation to the actress.

The DIQTFF was truly a unique and accepting environment for everyone who was present, and a perfect end to a difficult year.

 

 

Nikhil Kumar

[email protected]

 

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

 

Vineeta Rana

[email protected]

 

Amid all the confusion, suspicions and expectations around the Goods And Services Tax bill, more popular across the economics circuits by the acronym of GST Bill; the student fraternity and the rest of the nation has had the questions over how this would affect our lives. So here we are, with all those answers before you make a fool out of yourselves on the next April Fool’s Day, because that’s when the bill takes the centre court.
Historically, the GST bill can be viewed in the series of taxation reforms which started way back in 1986 in the form of modified VAT and then in 1991. It ushered the Custom Tariff Rate hence rightly being the harbinger of an era of Liberalisation.
Speaking economically, the entry and exit of goods and services are restricted by numerous hidden and embedded taxes. So the GST will act as an umbrella system, unifying the taxes and hence shall increase the ease of doing business by lowering the tax burden. Multiple taxation and tax cascading shall be mitigated. Capital and labour mobility shall increase.  This would improve the competitiveness of domestic industries in the international market.
Coming to the awaited question, how is it going to change young lives.

First and foremost, the education and healthcare sector, which currently is not taken to be a market and is exempt from taxation and hence scrutiny, could possibly come under censor. This might even ensure that a ‘luxury school’ in New Delhi does not burn more holes in your pocket than the one in Bihar per se. Similarly, CAT and similar coaching fees could be affected to herculean extents.
Now, the GST bill, at the same time, would also restrict the free play of shops at flea markets. No more would you find your great apparels at those minimal costs, since curbing the black market corruption is at the very heart of the bill.  On the same lines, the variation of price between the online and the brick and mortar stores shall be drastically reduced. Amazon’s Great Diwali sale would no more be that great and neither will Flipkart’s Big Billion Day be Big anymore.

Now if you’re one of those damned souls who does not have any immediate wedding in the family, fret not, Christmas and New Year are around the corner. Our suggestion? Awaken the shopaholic in you.
For those targeting some serious brands, the currency fiasco excuse is already at your disposal to get any consent that you might need. For others, plunder those virtual stores and your favourite ones at Sarojini and elsewhere. Be it Paytm karo, or freecharge karo or whatever, bas shoppin karo.
It’s a divine conspiracy, folks!

Feature Image Credits- http://metrovaartha.com/

Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]