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Sidharth Yadav

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) went on strike yesterday to protest against the sacking of two Hindu College professors who were removed due to their alleged ‘indiscipline’. The two teachers, Jai Inder Pal Singh (Physical Education) and Arvind Chaudhary (English) got into an altercation following a disrupted Staff Association Meeting in August 2013. Post the incident, both the teachers were suspended. The suspension lasted for around 16 months during which, the enquiry continued till the report was formed and submitted to the Vice Chancellor.

The DUTA alleges that there were statutory violations by the Governing Body of the college which intervened in the event and suspended the teachers. According to a press release by DUTA, “The College’s governing body did not allow the Staff Council’s Administrative Affairs and Grievance Committee (AAGC) to resolve the issue arising between teachers in any amicable manner whatsoever.” DUTA also claims that there had been arbitrary use of power by the board chairman in taking the final decision of sacking the professors.

A day before the strike, the registrar of the University warned the agitating teachers against striking by sighting an order of the High Court and declaring no pay for the day for teachers who would go on strike. The DUTA called this warning ‘draconian’, saying it maintained that the HC’s interim order was passed in the specific context of the anti-semester protests and holds no bearing on the present situation. A similar ‘No Work No Pay’ situation had occurred before in 2012 when the teachers who went on strike had no pay for the strike day.

DUTA along with members of Karnti Yuva Sangathan collected at the Arts Faculty at eleven in the morning and marched to the Vice Chancellor’s Office. Ripples of the DUTA strike were felt all over the University. For instance, an internal examination for the students of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College was dramatically cancelled. After the exam had begun, teachers who were a part of the protest walked into the classroom and declared the exam cancelled.

Featured image credits: www.duta-du.info

Apprentissage, Hindu College’s first ever internship fair made its debut on the 19th of February and attracted scores of students from various colleges who had come to seek summer internships. Organised by the internship cell of the college – Abhyas, the fair featured 20 companies mostly offering paid internships which served as the icing on the cake for prospective interns.

Companies from various sectors like journalism, social work, legal and corporate made their mark at the event. Students were required to register for the fair before by paying a nominal fee. However, acknowledging the enthusiasm of students who could not complete the process by the deadline, on the spot registrations were also arranged.

With a number of registered students, the event took place at the Bharat Ram Centre which is originally an art gallery. Students were required to carry their CVs as a pre-condition to approach any company which required the former then to fill up forms after brief interactions. Multiple applications in different companies were becoming a norm considering the diverse experience that each company was promising to offer.

The event concluded at around 3 PM with major companies like Philip Morris International and Human Rights Law Network registering more than 150 students. Thus begins the wait for notifications for students.

th February every year. Among the pilgrims are ‘tourists’ who with their cameras scan over the atmosphere and the ‘bhaktas’ from various colleges who after knee wrenching travel and waiting come to pray for either an ideal relationship or the loss of their virginity. 2015’s preparations started at sharp 4 AM when the hostellers (sewaks) of the college with necessary things for the ritual started pouring out of their rooms to decorate the tree. That mutability of the Virgin deities at the college brings dynamic deities each year is well known among students. This year the Damdami Mai, as the supreme deity is called was Lisa Haydon.  ‘Visual representation’ of the Mata was put on the heights of the tree accompanied by the picture of actor Ranbhir Kapoor to woo female pilgrims. Condoms filled with ‘Holy water’  were also hung on the tree alongside heart shaped balloons. The rituals began with the beginning of the much awaited holy hour at 10:16 AM by a Pandit (A hosteller dressed as one). Many pilgrims were stopped at the gate of the college to prevent ‘stampede’ among the people who had come to indulge in the rituals and get ‘darshan’ of the Damdami Mai. The invocation of Mata was done by aarti which ran-jai Damdami Mata, Mayiya jai Damdami mata… altAkZQALMSlMhMQ4Osrhc3AjBcW8wd_h39RUv_ponTNY9V This was followed by complete indulgence of the pilgrims into the rituals by dancing on the holy dhol. The Pandit was lifted during this instance to commemorate his nature of being the ultimate vestibule to Damdami Mata. Later Pilgrims were given ‘Prashad’ and the ‘Holy water’. [caption id="attachment_29928" align="aligncenter" width="900"]altAszjATgoI1_qs3EPj3O2hCF37KsrqjmVgXdf9z4Jf72f Huge crowd of devotees throng the Hindu college turned temple to pay obeisance to Damdami Mai.[/caption] Make up laden female pilgrims and cologne laden male pilgrims then went back to their actual existence and stepped outside the college gate passing many other eager students lined up to show their IDs and enter the ‘Holy Premises’. Even though the rituals had ended, the tree and the Damdami Mai were still there waiting for more student turned pilgrims. The rituals at Hindu have been going on from years altogether, to read about the previous years’ celebration and other recent ‘Damdami Mai’s, visit here.  ]]>

Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine, freedom, intoxication and ecstasy was much revered among the Greeks who celebrated him through the vestibule of Bacchanalia, the festival. Epitome of liberal thought, English literature has many parallels with the symbolism that Bacchus embodied. Thus, the English Literature students of Hindu College reinvigorated the spirit by organising their annual literature festival Bacchanalia making it the confluence of literature, freedom and liberal thought.

The fest spanned over two days and catered to an audience from various colleges across the city. The Creative Writing Workshop organized by Literature studio focusing on ‘free writing’ and story writing started the fest. The workshop was followed by various competitions like spin- a- yarn, quiz, Pictionary and a poetry slam the same day. As a treat for the attendees, a yard sale of books was also organised.

The second day started with the much awaited conventional debate competition. The motion of the house was in general about the recent controversy over acceptability of members of a particular racial group representing different racial characters in movies.

The high point of the fest was the panel discussion by eminent scholars and former Hinduites Chandrahas Choudhary and Angshukanta Chakraborty on the possibility of a ‘Hindu School of Writing’. The festival ended with teachers and students celebrating free thought and right to expression.