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Niharika Dabral

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Play Review: Hideaway by Verbum

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Backed by impeccable acting and an intricate plot, the annual production of Verbum, the English Dramatics Society of Sri Venkateshwara College, trod on the tricky territory of pedophilia and virtual reality. It asked questions like – should our imagination collide with “morals”, what are ethics, and what all constitutes our identity? The prospect of “Hideaway”, a play promising to be a sci-fi drama, which had words “virtual reality” and “near future” in its synopsis didn’t exactly set my heart racing. But then I was given a free pass by the organisers (let’s be real, who resists free stuff), and the venue was the beautiful India Islamic Cultural Centre, I couldn’t resist and went to watch the play anyway and I’m glad that I did. The play opened with the spotlight on the interrogation table. On the table, there was a smoldering cigarette, Sims aka Papa, the creator of a virtual world called “The Hideaway”, where those suffering from the pedophilic disorder can “blow off steam” and lives their fantasies, and Morris, a detective who is trying to uncover the secrets of “The Hideaway”. There are five main characters: Iris, a virtual character who severs “guests” in the Hideaway, Doyle, an investigative agency insider who imposes Iris, and Mr. Woodnut, a frequent visitor to the Hideaway. The crux of the narrative revolves around Detective Morris’s interrogations that aim to expose the Hideaway and the relationships forged in the realm. I can’t write the plot properly, not just because I don’t want to give away spoilers, but also because I’m not sure if my summarisation will be able to do justice to the intricacies of the plot. The direction by Akshaj Saini and Dasoju Sai Sanket is skilled. They made sure that the entrances and exits are smooth.  I felt that they divided the stage space too starkly in left and right which made it inconvenient to see and hear what is going on if you happen to sit anywhere other than the centre seats. The direction predominantly had two main backdrops: one of interrogation table and other of the realm.  The background in the later stages changed often. There were instances where two scenes were running parallelly. These settings called for proficient light work and this is where team Verbum fell short. The folks who managed the lights were spot on with the spotlight, but fell prey to clumsiness while adjusting lighting from A to B, revealing a significant portion of the crew (dressed in black and unnerved by the onslaught of visibility) swiftly shifting chairs and tables. The music, handled by Ankita Podder and Abhimanyu Singh, complimented and built the atmosphere. At certain segments, it was so melodious and calm that I felt myself being physically relaxed. The last scene, which is marvelously executed and written, owes its impact to the music that accompanies it. The story could have been made more interesting by imaginative staging. It’ll be great if Verbum changes the obnoxious gramophone. When even their cognac bottle looks perfect then the ersatz gramophone appears to be a shame. Akshaj Saini mastered the art of body language; you could see his posture shift from confident to defensive. When he coddled Iris, I could sense slyness underneath the charm. His subtle, but impactful expressions like a simple stare or a slight movement of hands across his face conveyed all messages. Every time he uttered “Fuck”, I twitched because the pronunciation was so definite with disgust.  Karthik Dammu played Mr. Woodnut satisfactorily. To put it simply, he effortlessly humanised pedophiles, that’s how convincing his guilty demeanour was. Natika Niyogi embodied Iris with utmost grace. When she cried I was pained. Her sorrow was all-encompassing, and her acting was skillfully executed. I would have “crossed-over” into the play, only to give her a hug. Rishika Kaushik’s enaction of Detective Morris was powerful. She made me sign up for team Morris from the very first scene. Her conviction and self-righteousness seeped out of each word she spoke made and made me root for her. Deepan Gondolay played Doyle and he is neither good nor bad. In all honesty, I didn’t notice him (but I did notice his pepper grey hair) until the last scene which, in all fairness, he owned. Watch this some one-hour long production if you are interested in digital humanities, psychology, or good theatre.   Feature Image Credits: Verbum Niharika Dabral [email protected]]]>

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Shaheed Bhagat Singh College pays tribute to Bhagat Singh

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Shaheed Bhagat Singh( 1907 – 23 March 1931) was a celebrated Indian socialist and revolutionary, whose intense patriotism made him a youth icon for generations to come. Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC), named after him recently commemorated Shaheedi Divas on 23rd March 2018 to mark the 87 the anniversary of the martyrdom of India’s revolutionary hero. The function was organised by the Cultural Council of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, under the convenorship of Dr. Simple Mohanty.

The Chief Guest on the occasion was Shri Amarjeet Singh Dulat, author of the 2015 best-selling book, Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years. Dulat, a 1965 batch veteran IPS officer from the Rajasthan cadre, had gone on to head the Research & Analysis Wing and was also the PMO’s chief advisor on Kashmir during Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee’s regime. He was an epitome of modesty when he said that he was not knowledgeable enough to speak on the occasion. The pearls of wisdom he shared with the audience, proved him wrong.

Referring to Shaheed- e- Azam Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom, he said that had the former lived on, we may perhaps have seen a different India. Referring to Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s staunch secular and socialistic credentials, Shri Dulat said that the former chose to remain an atheist till the end, swearing only by the religion of love for and service to the motherland; and the foundation for this love for and service to the motherland was Hindu- Muslim unity. Reminding us about the indispensability of Hindu- Muslim unity, Shri Dulat quoted the words of the Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu who called it the Sangam of National Life– like the perfect union of the Ganges and Yamuna at Prayag, the perfect union of Hindus and Muslims would see each preserve its own culture & purity even at the point of union.

Dr. Shyam Sundar, seniormost faculty of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College addressed the gathering on behalf of the Principal, Dr. P. K Khurana, who was unwell. felicitated the eminent guests. He also announced the initiation of a merit-cum-means scholarship to support the education of wards martyred police and paramilitary personnel. This scholarship was started by Dr. Khurana at the behest of a former faculty member of the college from the Department of Geography, Dr. Krishna Prabha, and her husband Justice S. K. Agarwal. Shri Dulat lauded this as the noblest of causes.

The students of various societies of the college also got a chance to interact with Shri A.S Dulat as he gave away mementos and certificates of appreciation to them.

 A plethora of cultural events were organized by the college which fascinated the spectators. Audiophile, the music society, performed a medley of songs with pleasing renditions of Indian classical music.

Spardha, the western dance society, gave a dazzling dance performance with an amalgamation of upbeat and popular songs.
Spardha, the western dance society of SBSC

Spardha, the western dance society, gave a dazzling dance performance with an amalgamation of upbeat and popular songs. Natuve, the theatre society, recited a thought-provoking and powerful poem on nationalism and the spirit of sacrifice.

Promethean, the fine arts society, made a live painting of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and mesmerized every spectator.
Promethean, the fine arts society, made a live painting of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and mesmerized every spectator.

Article by- Meraki, The Creative Writing Society, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College

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Arts & Culture

Vayam pays tribute to Gulzar Sahab with Ravi Paar

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Vayam Performing Arts Society is an independent performing arts group based in Delhi. Started as a campus theatre society around 10 years ago in Delhi University, today, they are a well-known name in Delhi’s campus as well as professional art and cultural circuit.The society that was formed on the ideals of Unity, Togetherness, and Creativity, grew bigger and better by each passing year. Gradually, Vayam started making a mark on the DU Theatre Circuit by winning many laurels and praises. Today, the organization has ventured into the era of performing arts and boasts of a strong foothold in Mumbai and Delhi with several professional performances under its credit.

Vayam Performing Arts recently culminated its theatre workshop with an admirable play Raavi Paar. The performance of this acclaimed production at Lok Kala Manch on 3rd March 2018, saw a healthy turnout of the audience from different walks of life. The play pays tribute to the unfathomable contribution of Gulzar Sahab to the Indian Literature. A blend of Live Music, Songs, Poetry and Shadow Theater, this drama laid prime emphasis on the story of Darshan Singh, one amongst many stuck in the flood of people across the borders in 1947, who lost his parents and his wife gave birth to twins. He is caught in the dilemma whether to be happy or sad. The play depicts the agony of losing family and home, the ruins of partition and pain of migration.

Still from the play
Still from the play

Raavi Paar-A tribute to Gulzar Sahab is a production that is bound to challenge viewers’ mindset as well as take one’s way back in time. It is a play which provokes a series of thoughts on issues partition, love, relationships and survival. The audience could be seen experiencing different emotions of love, compassion, sorrow, and regret throughout the performance. The superlative direction and powerful script kept the audience glued to the scenes on stage. The experienced cast and crew of Raavi Paar delivered a phenomenal performance which was praised by the viewers, senior team members and the management alike. In summary, the event turned out to be a success for the organization as a promotion of theatre and social service were well accomplished by the dedicated team of Vayam Performing Arts Society. 

Still from the play
Still from the play

Image Credits: Vayam

 

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Ruckus on the Runway: Fashion Societies Return Their Awards at SRCC

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Last week, on the third day of Crossroads, the annual cultural fest of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), the runway became the scene of drama and subsequently solidarity.

The curious case of three results

Demeanor, the fashion society of SRCC, organised Fashion Walk, a fashion show competition. The problem started at the very beginning when the participating teams accused the host team of misbehavior. After the show, the organisers refused to announce the results live, but due to the pressure from all teams, they announced IVOGUE of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (SGGSCC) as a winner and Glitz, the fashion society of Kamala Nehru College (KNC), as the runner-up. This announcement was followed by heated exchanges between the participating teams and the organisers when the host team refused to release the score sheet.

During the exchanges, a member of Demeanor gave written a statement to Medha Singh, President of Glitz wherein they admitted a mistake in result announcement and declared KNC as first and SGGSCC as second.

Written statement given by Demeanor, the Fashion Society of SRCC.
Written statement given by Demeanor, the Fashion Society of SRCC.

Later in the day, the organisers announced another result on their Facebook page and cited ‘technical issues’ for the change. According to the new results, Glitz secured the first position and Prophecy, the fashion society of Lady Irwin College (LIC), emerged as a runner-up. IVOGUE was seen nowhere near the winners tally.

The ‘secret’ score sheet

“There can’t be any technical error that the first team is nowhere in the new results. By announcing us as the winners unofficially and changing the results thereafter is not justified in any way. In all probability, mark sheets were fudged. The results have been announced twice, both times without the judges, hence, no one knows which result is the correct one,” Chayan Jain, President, IVOGUE, contended.

Kunika Sharma, President of Galore, the fashion society of Maitreyi College commented, “The calculations didn’t run in hundreds, it was basic addition and subtraction. They (the organisers) want us to buy this excuse of ‘technical glitches’ and ‘miscalculation’ which took hours to rectify. However, we are not that naïve.”

After repeated attempts to get in touch with Demeanor, the fashion society of SRCC, a member of Demeanor, on the condition of anonymity, briefly spoke to DU Beat and said, “There were some calculation mistakes which is why we released two results. A simple situation was escalated because the participants turned very aggressive. We had to lock ourselves in a room for our safety.” When asked about their refusal to disclose the original score sheet, the member said, “We are not bound to disclose it” and disconnected the call.

As a common practice, the score sheets are shared with the participants so that they know where they are lacking; this uncanny defensiveness about the marks sheet points to something disingenuous.

Things get heated up

Responding to the allegations of manhandling the organisers, Medha Singh, President of Glitz, the fashion society of KNC, attested, “When we insisted on about having the scoresheet, the organisers locked themselves up inside the room. When we started recording all this, they came shouting at us and tried to snatch away our phones.”

She further added, “They called bouncers and female constables to heckle us. Who gave them the right to call force on female participants? That’s legally wrong. They sought female constables because we weren’t budging without checking the scores, not because we manhandled them. At the end of the day it’s seven teams against one college why would that be?”

“A major part of hosting an event is hospitality, if you can’t treat your guests with basic decency, literally shout “Shut up” at them, and refuse to engage in a conversation, then you lose the moral right to accuse them of getting angry. By blaming teams of being rowdy, when they were merely asking for a look at the score sheet, you are shifting the blame,” Chitra Dabral, President of Prophecy, the fashion society of Lady Irwin College said.

“As participants who have paid the registration fees, and that too an exorbitant amount of more than INR 1200 which is way more than any DU college, we refuse to be treated like a liability. The organisers even asked a stand-up comic who was there as filler to make fun of us,” Muskan Vohra, a participant told DU Beat.

A DU Beat correspondent who was covering the event saw Abhijit Ganguly, the stand up comic, make pointed remarks at girls who belong to these fashion societies, calling fashion shows useless.

The Award Wapsi

The suspicion of unfairness and misconduct of the hosts prompted the winners (KNC and LIC) to give back their awards in a show of solidarity with the rest of the teams. They used #UnitedWeStand to renounce their prizes.  Explaining their decision to return their second position, Chitra Dabral, President of Prophecy, the fashion society of Lady Irwin College, said, “By not accepting any validation from SRCC we want to signify that if you don’t respect us or our fraternity then we won’t respect your awards. It’s as simple as that.”

Why this incident is important

At first, this incident seems like a petty altercation fueled by competitiveness. However, if you look beyond the accusations and counter-accusations three things emerge at the surface. Firstly, the possessiveness towards one’s performance. This stems from the insecurity that prevails in the fashion circuit, thanks to the widespread norm of choreographer-led rigging. Secondly, the insensitivity that some organisers display without any pretense which comes from the confidence of knowing that they can get away with it. Thirdly, #UnitedWeStand displayed that despite the competitiveness there is a sense of community between the societies and this is something that needs to be celebrated.

We as consumers of the art that performing societies in DU make should be aware of things that go onstage as well as the backstage and we should stand up for what’s right. When art that takes months of hard work gets disrespected then it’s time to get involved.

 

Feature Image Credits: PV Purnima for DU Beat

Niharika Dabral

[email protected]

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Amit Trivedi concludes the final day of Mecca 2018 on a Musical High!

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Day 3 of Mecca’18 began on a with a number of traditional singing and dancing competitions lined up. The audience had geared up for the enthralling performances since 9:30 a.m. and for the most-awaited concert of Amit Trivedi.

Mr. Diwakar and Ms. Bohara judged the Arangam, the folk group dance Competition, organised by Adhrita, the folk group dance society of Hindu College. The power-packed and vigorous performances of eight Delhi University colleges upped the energy levels of the audience. The judges, as well as the spectators, highly enjoyed the cultural extravaganza. The third position was shared by Nazaakat of Gargi College and Annhad of Daulat Ram College. Nrityakriti of Maitreyi College was declared the first runner-up and received immense praise the judges. The most dynamic Bhangra performances by Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College and Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College won them both the winner trophy.

The first competition of the day was Harmony, the Indian music competition organised by Alankaar, the Indian music society of the host college. Soumitra Thakur, a Bal Shree Award winner, and Pt. Bholanath Mishra, an eminent vocalist of Benaras Gharana, judged the competition comprising of 10 participant teams. Alaap of Sri Venkateswara College emerged as the winner and Swaranjali of Hansraj College scored the first runner-up trophy. Harmony was followed by Indian classical solo competition.

The second event of the day under the canopy of the auditorium was Lasya, the classical dance solo competition. Participants from across the University exhibition their expertise in various Indian dance forms. The judging panel of Gauri Diwakar and Kalyani Bohara adjudged Raghav Monga from Shri Venkateswara College as the winner while Abhinav Priyadarshi from Hansraj College emerged as the runner-ups.

The second half of the day saw the Battle of Bands between the bands of Ramjas College (Backbeat) and Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Common Thread). The judges, Upamanyu Das and pianist Anirudh Verma were noticeably impressed by the performance of both the bands although Backbeat was victorious.

Aria, the Western Music Society of Hindu College alsoorganised Tone Wolf, the instrumental solo competition. The event was adjudged by Mr. Upmanyu Das, an alumnus of the society and college who also founded the college band. Each performance in the competition was asmesmerising as the other, and all the pieces were either self-composed or adapted. The first position was bagged by Sanjay Menon from Delhi Technological University. Aashay Bhatnagar of Ramjas College won the second spot, while Denis from Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College was placed third. 

It was time for the much-awaited star night. Indeed, Mecca had saved the best for the last. Following a small delay, Amit Trivedi arrived on the stage with four additional singers. The concert kicked off with the song “Dilli”. The four other singers accompanying Amit Trivedi were Arun Kamath, Meghna Mishra, Divya Kumar and Rashita. Meghna Mishra was a 16-year old artist who had won awards for “Secret Superstar”. The team said that they divide their performance into two halves where the first half was for the ears while the other half was for the legs. The songs they performed included hits like “Maanjha”, “ Gulaabo”, “Shandaar” and “ Ud-daa Punjab”.

 

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat.

Vijeata Balani
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Prachi Mehra
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Nikhil Kumar
[email protected]

 

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Arts & Culture

How a Feminist Should Not Dress

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Stereotypes exist for a reason. It won’t be false to say that our outfits speak before we do. Understandably so, we determine how a feminist should dress and what they should definitely avoid. After all, clothes are more important than character.

1. A feminist understands that pink is the colour of patriarchy. It is a colour that pushes girls to be soft and docile. If you believe in feminism, it is important to avoid any shade of pink. Only housewives can wear pink and we don’t want to be like them, right?

2. You can’t wear any clothing item that falls lower than your collarbone or raises over your knees. A true Naariwadi must wear worn out khadi kurtas, loose pants, a black bindi, and kajal. It’s imperative to stay in your line by taking care of your neckline and hemline. You can’t risk looking like a slut or a fashionista.

3. You’re not a real feminist if you do not reject the idea of bras, especially the padded kind. If you really like wearing bras then make sure you pick an unpadded sports bra, otherwise your feminist card shall be revoked.

4. A feminist can never be caught dead wearing heels. They hurt your sole, just as patriarchy hurts the soul. Wear flats, shoes, or loafers. Not only will they be comfortable but they will allow you to run away faster from misogyny and chauvinism.

5. Makeup sexualises women and we all know how women’s sexuality exists only to attract the men. Hence, a real feminist must never put any sort of makeup.

6. Most importantly, a feminist must wear a sarcasm detecting bracelet and never undermine his intelligence so that he can ignore advice that perpetuates narrow ideas of feminism.

For a long time, fashion and activism were seen as exclusive of each other, despite the fact that fashion has historically been used as a tool to express dissent. Thanks to internalised sexism, two different camps of feminists judged each other on grounds of being too frigid or frivolous. Each faction pushed for its own idea of emancipation, while completely forgetting that empowerment is not a monolithic experience or idea.

It’s about time that we, as intersection feminists, acknowledge that nudity and modesty both can be liberating. You can dress up like you wish, except in clothes that are produced by underpaid labour and cosmetics that are tested on animals. You can wear a bikini or a burqa without compromising your progressive credence because you are more than what you wear.  Similarly, makeup or no makeup, a feminist will stay a feminist even if they wear lipstick. Like Journalist Natasha Scripture sums it up concisely, “The notion that wearing makeup is anti-feminist is silly. Cleopatra pretty much invented the eyeliner, and she ruled a kingdom.”

 

Image Credits: Malcolm Paul Evans

 

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The University of Delhi Finally Approves Delhi Government’s Nominees for College Governing Bodies

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In a recent development, the University of Delhi (DU) Executive Council has approved the Delhi government’s list of nominees for the college Governing Bodies (GB) of 28 colleges.

The approval of Delhi government’s list by the Executive Council (EC) was made official by a statement issued by Professor Tarun Kumar Das, Registrar of DU, after the Executive Council held its meeting on the 7th and 8th of March.

Significantly, on July 2017, the Delhi government had ordered a freeze on grants for DU Colleges that are either fully or partially funded by it. The reason given for this was the perceptible failure of the varsity to appoint governing bodies in the given time.

The meeting witnessed comprehensive discussion on names sent by the government. Following this, the EC approved the government’s list of nominees for the college governing bodies, with a few exceptions. According to an EC member, 280 names for the GB were approved, which includes 140 names sent by the government. However, four names from the government list were withheld.

Further, with regard to some of the nominees, the EC has requested the Delhi government to present details such as educational qualification. The composition of governing bodies must include 15 members and one non-teaching staff member. Out of the total, five are to be nominated by the Delhi Government and five nominees come under the mandate of the University.

Responding to queries from DU Beat, Rajib Ray, President of Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), remarked on this development, “For this, the varsity is to be blamed. The decision to constitute governing bodies should have been taken over a year back. The only reason why the Delhi government can be blamed is that they have threatened to block the funds.”

Surendra Kumar, Executive Member of DUTA, who is currently holding an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Faculty of Arts against the newly proposed University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, made a critical observation and said, “Even during the previous governments, whether it was the BJP or Congress, there have been differences of opinion between the Chief Minister and the Vice Chancellor. But I cannot recall a single incident wherein fund-cuts were advised by the government.”

During a conversation with DU Beat, he further discerned on the administrative lapse involving this issue by stating, “The crisis of governing bodies is an administrative crisis between the Delhi government and the varsity. Why should a teacher of DU suffer because of this?”

On this development’s impact on the DUTA’s ongoing struggle for fairer salary terms for professors, Rajib Ray commented optimistically, “With this, I hope the crisis of blocked grants would end, thereby providing some respite to the striking teachers.”

 

Feature Image Credits:  Deposit Photos

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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Armaan Malik Draws the Curtains to Nexus 2018!

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The second day of Nexus, the annual fest of Sri Venkateswara College commenced on the morning of 9th March 2018, with several events around the campus. One of them was Goonj, the Indian classical group singing competition.  The seminar hall in which the event took place was given the necessary aura by being decorated with dim fairy lights. Eleven colleges enthusiastically participated in the event, including Kamla Nehru College, Hansraj College, Ramjas College, etc. Though the societies of each college filled the auditorium with great vigour with their voices, the highlight of the event was a special performance by the host team Alaap, the Indian music society of Sri Venkateswara College.

The competition was judged by Ujwal Nagar, an exceptionally talented musical artist from a famous collective called Advaita. Geetanjali, the Indian music society of Miranda House, bagged the first position and a cash prize of INR 8000 through their beautiful blend of Raga Puriya-Dhanashri and Raag Jog. The second position and a cash prize of INR 6000 were won by Alankaar, the Indian music society of Hindu College, which mesmerised the audience with their mixture of the three raags – Rageshree, Jogkauns, and Gambheera Nattai Talam. All societies were very supportive of each other and the event seemed like a celebration of music.

The MELA Quiz organised by Conquiztadors, the quiz society, and saw active participation. Gokul of Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College and Gourav Jena of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies bagged the first position as a team and won INR 2500 as the cash prize. The second position was bagged by Akash Verma of Delhi School of Economics and Rabin Jacob of Department of Anthropology, the University of Delhi (DU).

Anubhuti, the street play society Sri Venkateswara College, organised Madari, the street play competition. Natuve of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (Morning) bagged the first position. Their impactful performance was based on depression. DramaNomics of College of Vocational Studies won the first runner-up trophy, and the dramatics society of Lady Shri Ram College followed as the second runner-up. Kshitij of Gargi College received a special mention. Shilpa Marawaha of Sukhmanch Theatre was one of the judges. She said that all the plays were very contemporary and thought-provoking. Abhishek Kumar Singh of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies won the Best Actor award and Best Actress was given to Spraha of IP College for Women.

Leonci, the Fine Arts Society organised a Story Illustration Competition, out of six participants, Nibedita Roy of Shivaji College bagged the first prize and Shivangi Rao of Maitreyi College secured the second position.

Effulgence, the Film, and Photography Society organised a short film competition which was judged by Mr. Imran Raza, Director of IG Productions. The first position was bagged by Symbiosis College, Pune and second was won by St. Stephen’s College.

Alaap, Indian Music Society of Sri Venkateswar College, organised Gamak, a classical solo competition. Mr. Kshitij Mathur, an Indian Classical vocalist based out of Delhi judged the event. Vasundhara of IP College for Women won the first position while Shreerag of Kirori Mal College secured the runner-up trophy.

The action at the main stage began with the Battle of Bands. The various bands from across universities locked horns for the top spot. The competition was judged by Abhay Sharma and Varun Rajasekhar. At the end of the showdown which extended for more than two hours, Six in the Evening, the western music band of Hansraj College and Jokes Apart- Flip, the collaborative group of DU colleges shared the first prize. Common Thread, the western music band of Audiophile, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College was ranked second.

Unni Vishwanathan of Hansraj College was adjudged the winner of Mudra, the solo Indian classical dance competition. Nandita of Hansraj College was the runner-up. Judges Disha Rawat and Nisha Rani further appreciated the efforts of Sanskriti Sharma of Janki Devi Memorial College and Reetu Purna of Lady Shri Ram College.

The next event on the roll was Dyad, the western vocals (duet) competition. Ashisha John and Miriam Matthew of St. Stephen’s College were awarded the first position for their rendition of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. Vinayak Arora and Shikhar Lakhumna of Delhi Technological University stood second for their cover of Beat It, another Michael Jackson song.

The slam poetry competition was the venue of new-age poetry wherein the participants mesmerised the gathering with their poems, based on varied themes such as feminism and the melancholy of having a broken family. While Seep Garwhal from Sri Venkateswara College secured the first position, Prashant from Bhartiya Vidhya Bhawan bagged the second position by a close margin.

The Hindi debate competition was a battleground of raging thoughts as participants engaged in a verbal battle on the topic – This house believes that world peace is a myth. Harshit from Shivaji College outsmarted his competitors and bagged the first position while Shubhangi from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College won the second position.

The choreography competition which commenced at 3 p.m. was the highlight of the day with zealous teams competing neck-to-neck. The themes ranged from ‘spirits’ to the ‘foils of an arrogant king’. The judges were Arpita Kaul and Ragini Bhajanka, both of whom are seasoned performers. Sensation of Kirori Mal College won the first position and was followed by Sparx of Gargi College which emerged as the runners-up.

Musician Haider Saif closed off the eventful day two of Nexus with soulful songs.  

The third day saw the star night performance by Armaan Malik, which oversaw a huge audience in thousands to witness him singing. He sang famous hit sings like Gulabi Aankhein, Kar Gayi Chul, and Vajah Tum Ho, among a plethora of other songs to which the audience grooved heartily. His closing act concluded a yet another successful Nexus!

 

Feature Image Credits: Ayush Chauhan for DU Beat

Khyati Sanger
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Nikhil Kumar
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Prachi Mehra
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Vaibhavi Pathak Sharma
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ABVP Accussed of Disrupting Event, Abusing Teachers and Students at Satyawati College

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Kawalpreet Kaur, the University of Delhi (DU) President of All India Students’ Association (AISA), has alleged that she was harassed and verbally abused by students affiliated to the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at an event at Satyawati College, on 22nd February 2018. Some students and teachers of Satyawati College also alleged that the members of the ABVP had disrupted the event for which Kawalpreet Kaur was invited as a panelist.

After the incident, the staff council at Satyawati College held a meeting and passed a unanimous resolution condemning the incident. They also suspended two of those ostensibly involved in the disruption, namely Kunal Yadav and Aman Awana, students of the same college.

During a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Kawalpreet described the incident, “I had finished speaking and was sitting in the front row with the organisers when a group of 30-40 students -all males- barged into the auditorium demanding that I be kicked out of college immediately. At that time, the teachers started to negotiate with the students. But they continued with their hooliganism. During the same, they started verbally abusing the professors and were also targeting me. In fact, some of the professors were manhandled as well.” She further stated, “Even the Principal had taken the podium and requested these students to maintain the dignity of the college. But she was booed down.” Thereafter, Kawalpreet filed a complaint at the Bharat Nagar police station against the members of the ABVP on February 23rd.

On being asked about their side of the story, Kunal Yadav, Secretary of Satyawati College Students’ Union who was suspended for purportedly disrupting the event, said, “We were protesting because Kawalpreet Kaur was banned from our college last year. She came for the college fest and then later filed molestation complaints against some students. After that, the college banned her. We didn’t want something of that sort to happen again, so we were talking to our professors and saying that if her event is over, she should leave.”

However, during the phone call with the DU Beat correspondent, Kawalpreet asserted, “I was never banned from the college and the Principal has confirmed this. In fact, such a ban cannot be proposed against me because I myself am a student of DU.”

When the DU Beat correspondent approached Saket Bahuguna, National Media Convener of ABVP, he said, “The protests were done by the Students’ Union of Satyawati College. Some of them are our members, but none of them are ABVP office bearers. Kawalpreet is very tactical. She knows that if she mentions ABVP, she’ll get all the media attention. It is like Arvind Kejriwal blaming Modi all the time whereas Modi is not even present.”

 

Feature Image Credits: The Hindustan Times
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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Campus Central

Unrest over student representative elections in the Delhi School of Journalism

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On 22nd of February, the Delhi School of Journalism (DSJ) conducted its first student representative elections. The elections that were supposed to signify the emergence of democracy in less than a year of the institution was marred by controversy.

The commotion started after the teachers barred the student’s who didn’t submit their semester fee. This angered a section of students who started protesting. Following the initial rebellion, the faculty allowed everyone to vote but only after all voted were counted; they rejected the demand for new polls. Students believed that they were asked to cast votes only to pacify them, their vote counts want even counted.

Soon a DSJ student called  Kunal Sehrawat, Vice President of Delhi University Students’Union. Upon Sehrawat’s presence, a verbal acceleration between a faculty member and the DUSU representative took place which came to a close after Mansawini Yogi (check spelling), Officer on Special Duty, met him.

According to the DSJ students, the meeting didn’t reach an amicable end, but both the parties decided that the whether or not they should have fresh polls for the Students Represent post will be decided by the Delhi Students’ Welfare (DSW).

Talking to DU Beat about the protests, Manasvini Yogi, OSD, DSJ, reasoned, “Certain students weren’t allowed to vote because they didn’t pay the semester fee despite reminds and fact that the last date of fee submission has passed. Technically, these students are university students as of now.”

Responding to these allegations, a student said, “We weren’t even given the fee submission link on time. There are students who were sent the link later, and by the time they began the login the link has expired. We duly informed the faculty about it, but they didn’t care. Now the blame is on us. This isn’t fair.”

“When we paid our first-semester fee we also paid an amount that was charged for the whole year, like the electricity bill, media lab charges, etc. Therefore, it’s not as though we haven’t paid the fee at all,” Mohammed Ali, a student from DSJ, added. This isn’t the first time that students have shown discontent with the authorities. Only time can tell when the brewing unrest will come to an end.

Th story will be updated

Image Credits: Srivedant Kar for DU Beat

Niharika Dabral

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