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A law student from DU has initiated a demand for 50% seat reservations for female candidates in the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) and other representative bodies, garnering diverse reactions across the student body.

Following the recent passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, which seeks to allocate 33% of seats for women in the legislature, the University of Delhi (DU) is also witnessing a push for a similar change. There has been a recent rise in demands to reserve seats for gender minorities in Delhi University’s student elections and other college-level elections. Students and social activists have submitted a memorandum to the University highlighting their concerns and demands, which include various ways to enhance representation in University student politics and also increase seats for better participation.

This movement was initiated by a law student from the DU Faculty of Law, Shabana Hussain, along with advocates Ashu Bidhuri, Kuldeep Kumar, and Ajit Kumar, and other students of Delhi University. They met with the Dean of Delhi University to present their demands for gender reservation in University politics.

Here is an excerpt from the memorandum submitted by them, mentioning the aforementioned students’ and advocates’ demands:

- - The reservation of 50% of female student seats in the four office-bearer positions in the DUSU elections, starting from the next session (2024–25). These seats should be exclusively contested by female students on a rotational basis each year.
  - Beginning from the next session (2024–25), for the college union elections, which consist of six seats (President, Vice President, Secretary, Joint Secretary, and two Central Councillor posts), it is proposed that four office-bearer seats be allocated on a rotational basis as described in Demand No. 1. Additionally, one of the two Central Councillor seats should be reserved for a female student.
  - Currently, in the DUSU Executive Council elections, there are two seats reserved for women. The demand is to increase this reservation to five seats for female students, effective from the current session (2023-2024).
  - In the DUTA (Delhi University Teachers’ Association) elections, 50% of the seats should be reserved for women.
  - All colleges within Delhi University should be affiliated with the DUSU elections, starting from the upcoming session.

In conversation with DU Beat, Shabana emphasised her inspiration for starting this initiative, which stemmed from the groundbreaking Women’s Reservation Bill passed in Parliament. She firmly believes in the importance of empowering women at the grassroots level, and she sees women’s representation at the University level as playing a pivotal role in achieving this goal.

While female representation is on the rise, it often translates to tokenism, where women are being given roles for the sake of inclusivity. I want to change this mindset. I believe there are many capable and aspiring female candidates at the University who could take up leadership roles. Female students suffer from a lack of confidence due to the absence of role models in this sphere. We need visible women in politics and decision-making to illustrate that women hold valuable positions in these spheres. I believe that reservation can bring these faces to the forefront, ultimately leading to a transformation in leadership roles. It’s about moving away from tokenism, thereby inspiring the next generation of girls.

– Shabana, a law student advocating for the gender-based reservation of seats.

However, there are still many students who believe and argue that representation ought to come, but based on merit rather than reservations. Tackling this concern, Shabana adds,

I’m not advocating for permanent reservations. Rather, it is an opportunity to cultivate leadership skills in young girls, assisting them in their journey towards becoming future politicians. Today, politics is often dominated by money and muscle power. Reservation is necessary to bring women to an equal footing, enabling them to compete for positions on par with their male counterparts. Reservations can be removed once these goals are met.

Through discussions with other students across the University, it became evident that these concerns are mutual. Particularly, gender-minority students overwhelmingly support these demands, emphasising a collective resonance with the need for change and inclusivity in the University’s political landscape.

It is imperative that we have reservations for women in DUSU. The first reason is that, over the years, we have hardly seen female representation within DUSU. The last woman president of DUSU was in 2008, which is nearly 15 years ago. Female students hardly stand up for top positions. Until and unless we have proper and equal representation in a student body that speaks for the concerns of all the students at DU, how do we expect all problems to be equally highlighted?

– A journalism student at Delhi University

In a political landscape often dominated by muscle and power, several gender-minority students believe that a gender-minority leader in DUSU could understand their problems more sensitively and work towards resolving them more efficiently than any other candidate. In a scenario where several crucial issues, such as the safety of women on campus, remain pressing concerns, a strong gender-minority leader may be our next best hope.

When women representatives take the seats, women as a collective gender have faith in their own opinions. They have a voice. Not to forget that many of the colleges in the university are women colleges.

– A second-year student from the Delhi College of Arts and Commerce (DCAC)

However, there are other key concerns about the implementation of such an act. A final-year student at Kirori Mal College highlights,

Reserving 50% seats for female candidates is a challenge since representation in University-level politics, particularly at DU, is a complex issue that goes beyond a simple gender divide. It includes an interplay of caste, class, and gender dynamics. It’s not uncommon for various political parties to seek votes along these lines, and as a result, women often end up as symbolic heads rather than actively engaging in impactful decision-making.

Emphasising intersectionality and the essentialism of sex-based reservation, they further added,

I believe all aspects and concerns for equality go hand in hand. When we talk about reservation and representation for gender minorities, there has to be greater inclusion and acceptance for students from the LGBTQ community as well.

Shabana is urging other students to join her in the campaign for gender-based representation in the University system, as she relentlessly advocates for quicker changes at the level of student unions and politics. Seat reservations in DU’s University-level elections might be a historic development that sets the foundation for other colleges around the country to adopt similar policies. However, it is crucial to make sure that the objectives put forth by students like Shabana are accomplished effectively in order to do away with tokenism and make marginalised communities, whether gender-based or otherwise, the ones with equal footing and power.

Featured Image Credits: Shabana Hussain

Priya Agrawal
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DUB Speak

The Ticking Clock: Students, Education and Politics

By Ankita Baidya January 31, 2022

Student Politics is believed to be a product of the present times. Yet, there are historical pieces of evidence that suggest otherwise. Read ahead to find out more.

When the students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protested against the punishment given in the case of the 2001 Parliament attack, students including Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid got arrested. When the Literary Society of the Ramjas College, University of Delhi decided to invite Umar Khalid to speak in a seminar on ‘Cultures of Protest’ in 2017, a fight broke out. What was supposed to be a peculiar argument turned out to be a massive protest, involving everyone from students to renowned political faces. Students have been a part of the political sphere for quite some time now but should students be a part of this political arena? When the involvement of political parties in student politics has increased for their benefit of expanding the core strength of the party, should students step into it? It is believed that Student Politics is a product of the current decade. However, student politics is not just ABVP or NSUI, it has a history that accounts for its greater place in the democracy.

Pre-Independence

There is no starting point but the late 19th century and early 20th century saw the students getting involved in political matters. The swadeshi movement that was led as part of the anti-partition movement saw active participation of school and college students. Because of this situation, the students who were found guilty were stripped of their scholarships, expelled, or fined. What followed this movement was a consciousness to protest against the unjust that was being served. The students like Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki actively participated in politics. As the movements developed with time, people realized that violence could make the Britishers leave the country. The non-cooperation movement too saw a wide participation of students. They boycotted their schools and colleges that were government-affiliated to show their solidarity with the movement.

An indelible name in Indian history is that of Bhagat Singh, a student of National College, Lahore who had his roots running deep into politics. His commitment to ‘inquilab’ (revolution) inspired a wave of students across the country. His political ideologies did differ but the goal remained the same, to sleep in a free country. The students continued to march for freedom. They were fierce and focused. They did not cease until they achieved swaraj. This political involvement of the students gave rise to a certain culture of student politics that this country was about to experience.

Post-Independence

India was deeply engrossed in realizing its new dreams that were to shape the country which was reeling from the state of shambles. The nation was disintegrated on the grounds of various socio-economic factors. Yet, the political breeze was always prevailing. Even during the demand for linguistic states, protests broke out across the country which again saw active participation of the students. Further, the Naxalite movement that started in 1967 saw enormous support from the students. With the onset of the recession, India was about to fall into the grips of an economic crisis. Students saw this as a threat to their future prospects of employment and this directed them to join the Naxalite movement. Political involvement of the students was well active in this period and continued to remain the same in the coming years.

The Navnirman Andolan in 1974 was a movement led by the students in Gujarat against a hike in hostel food fees. Clashes between students and police provoked an indefinite strike across the educational institutions in Gujarat. This led to the resignation of Chimanbhai Patel. Nav Nirman Yuvak Samiti was formed during the movement. They demanded the dissolution of the state assembly and for holding fresh elections. Further, Morarji Desai went on a hunger strike, and then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi had to give in. The day the election results were declared was the same day when the verdict on the latter’s electoral malpractices came. In the same year, the Bihar movement was initiated by the students which were led by Jayaprakash Narayan. The political movement was against the anarchy in the state government. This movement led to the formation of Bihar Chhatra Sangharsh. However, the movement later turned against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (Sampoorna Kranti). As a result of all these, a national emergency was imposed by Indira Gandhi.

Emergency saw the suspension of all the democratic practices. This was resisted by all the sections of society, especially students. The government used repressive actions against the involvement of students in politics. This led to brutal consequences like the Rajan Case. P.Rajan was an engineering student who died as a result of torture in police custody during the Emergency in Kerala. Jailing and torturing the students because of their political support is a ‘trend’ of 1975 which found its place even in today’s times.

Present

Student politics has its roots through the pages of Indian history. As the times change, people learn more. The knowledge of a twelve-year-old child would be merely numbers and letters for the same-age child ten years into the future. This enhancement helps in a better understanding of the world and leads to demand for a better place to live. The students’ participation has always been there but has increased with the increase in their capacity to comprehend. Nevertheless, student politics will always be present and never cease to grow for better democratic functioning.

Featured Image Source: Youth Ki Awaaz

Ankita Baidya

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Campus Central

Politics and Protests: It’s Complicated

By DU Beat January 13, 2020

India has had an illustrious history of protests. Be it the pre-independence times or the post. But nearly every time, these protests are accused of being mere activities of political agendas and activities.

Whenever we see something going wrong in the social or political sphere in the nation, we take to the streets. Be it the recent Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) agitations or The Bihar Movementof 1974, the students along with political leaders wanted the nation to change. But both these agitations till some extent had a political flavour within them. The Leftist parties for the latter and Jana Sangh(Later Bhartiya Janata Party) for the post, and it is these political ideologies that have made many of these protests a victim of political rivalries, thereby weakening their credibility. Though politics in protests has helped protests to become effective but this effectiveness always comes with a price.

Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams, writers of the book Inventing the Future: Post capitalism and a World without Work, question the power of marches, protests, and other acts of what they call folk politics.

They said, “These methods are more habit than solution. Protest is too fleeting. It ignores the structural nature of problems in a modern world. The folk-political injunction is to reduce complexity down to a human scale.”

This impulse promotes authenticity-mongering, reasoning through individual stories (also a journalistic tic), and a general inability to think systemically about change.

Take the example of the DTC bus burning near Jamia Millia Islamia. Every time the protestors want to raise a valid critical point over the CAA and NRC legislation, they are shut out by the pro-legislation groups on this violent act. Though the protestors claim that they weren’t a part of the act which was later proved to be true but their credibility was compromised using fake news and propaganda.

Violence has always been part of the political process. Politics does not merely encompass the actions of Legislative assemblies, political parties, electoral contests and other formal trappings of a modern Government. Protest activities of one form or another, efforts to dramatize grievances in a fashion that will attract attention, and ultimately the destruction or threatened destruction of life and property appear as expressions of political grievances even in stable consensual societies like India.

In one sense, to speak of violence in the political process to speak of the political process itself; the two are inseparable. The ultima ratio of political action is force. Political activity below threshold of force is normally carried on with the knowledge that an issue maybe escalated into overt violence if a party feels sufficiently aggrieved. So be it Hindutva for the Bhartiya Janata Party, the dynastic politics for the Congress or the worker and trade union politics for the Left parties.

Medha Patkar, an environmental activist, who was a leading figure in Narmada Bachao Andolan, was able to stall the Narmada Dam project. She was successful as her lobbying made the World Bank withdraw its funding from the project. Still the project was completed with the help of public funding and the dam stands tall on the Narmada River. This tells us that protesting is a right of citizens of a democratic nation but protesting responsibly is also a duty.

We protestors have to be rational in our demands or otherwise protests get intermixed with politics. Like the students’ union protested against the change of names of Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University into Aligarh University and Banaras University in the 1970s. Just think about the level of communal harmony this simple name change could have done.

If we look at the protests today as an exercise in public awareness, they appear to have had mixed success at best. Their messages are mangled by an unsympathetic media smitten by images of property destruction—assuming that the media even acknowledges a form of contention that has become increasingly repetitive and boring. Therefore we should always protest whenever we want to see change but always be responsible and rock hard on our goals.

As in recent times many student politicians have started protesting, not for student problems but for popularity, which is not only catastrophic now but also in the future.

One of my close friends told me that hearing about JNU students protesting has become so common that now people don’t even care. Though I have my own interpretations but still I can’t help but agree with him on a great extent.

Feature Image Credits:The New Yorker

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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Campus Central

DU South Campus Students Join AAP’s Student Wing CYSS

By Sakshi Arora October 2, 2019

Months ahead of assembly polls in the National Capital, young students associated with various student organisations of Delhi University South Campus colleges joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Student wing Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) on Saturday, 28 September.

Youth and politics go hand in hand at the University. Students from South Campus colleges including Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma and Motilal Nehru College have joined CYSS. They did so in the presence AAP Delhi Convenor and Cabinet Minister, Gopal Rai and Minister of Parliament, Sanjay Singh at the party headquarters.

The students were whole heartedly welcomed in the party by being offered caps, symbolising the party’s signature look. The students also witnessed the presence of the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arwind Kejriwal.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addressed several student leaders, who won elections to various posts in DU Colleges as independent candidates, during their induction into the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday.

The National Convener was told by student leaders that money and nepotism were dominating student politics at the university. Mr. Kejriwal in response to that, said “AAP is the only party where anyone can contest and win elections.”

On being asked about the level of politics in the University and its similarity to the national one, “Politics in the country will change only when there is politics without means. If politicians contest elections with someone’s money, then their accountability will also be limited to them. We changed this type of politics in Delhi. I still have nothing, that is why I am able to think of, and for, the public,” Mr. Kejriwal further added.

Happy Club, a Students’ Union, which focuses exclusively on student centric problems while contesting elections was rumoured to be part of CYSS in the past few months.

Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai said “All these students will lead the pathway of the ideology of AAPs student organisation to their colleges and work towards strengthening the roots of the organisation in their respective colleges.”

“An organisation of students, Happy Club, which has been fighting for the students’ body elections for the past many years in the Delhi University South Campus have joined the party”, added Mr Rai.

All the students and people attached to the Happy Club have joined AAP under the leadership of the director of the club Vinay Udara.

Shivani Singh, State office Bearer, Media Head, CYSS told DU Beat, “We have welcomed all students with open hearts. We believe as AAP works education policies, it has motivated these students to join the party. This also gives us inspiration, in future to raise our movement against privatisation and saffronisation of education, which currently AAP is doing.”

The Chief Minister urged the student leaders to think about the rights and the colleges they represent. He also said that his doors were open if they needed anything including, funds for the development of their respective institutions.

Feature image credits: Stephen Matthew for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba

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DUB Speak

The Obsession with Student Politics in India: A case of Delhi University

By Kinjal Pandey September 17, 2018

Politics has played a major role in the Indian frame for a long time, and we explore its obsession branching out in the student arena as well.

Election season is over but the hype, controversy and the obsession with student politics brims over hot brews of coffee debating and general angst.

The past few years have noticed a consistent increase in the role the student bodies play in the circuit of Delhi University. Delhi University’s Students Union [DUSU] is the representative body for most of the faculties and colleges. The hierarchy also includes the internal students union in every college, with elections being held every year for office-bearing positions. Ever since 1954, the Delhi University’s Students Union [DUSU] has peaked prominence in the university. One of the key factors being is the expanse of the varsity. Being one of India’s largest universities, it serves as a great plethora for younger generations to express their viewpoints in a different light. These bodies are backed by different political parties.

Campus activism in the words of T.K. Oomen in his book Asian Survey, “is one of the pet areas in the research in contemporary social science. However, the nature of student politics and government is rarely studied”. The DU campus is blessed with serenity until the election season hits in. there is chaos and loyalty battles wrung out, with roads synonymous with lying pamphlets and college walls echoing with slogans. The case of Indian students’ union politics or student parliaments is quite different compared to its western contemporaries.

While the major touch-point for being actively involved in a student’s union means the adequacy for a good and experienced political career in the future, a lot of the nuisance created here is not prevalent there. While student bodies have a variety of tasks enrolled within, there is a big difference in the varsity student unions abroad and here. For starters, the students union elected has representative halls, like the George Sherman Union in Boston University or the up and coming promising members of the Yale College Council. Compared to the American and Western counterpart, our student unions are still emerging but are we convalescing in the shackles of unclear domains when it comes to politics? Are our student unions a reflection of the un-impressive struggle Indian politics has faced coming into the purview of the world?

The obsession of student politics can be traced to the source of power and authority, a pre-requisite to self-sufficiency in a now emerging Indian youth. While politics still stands as an attractive career option in the Indian domain, there are certain criticisms attached to the political situation and the trend of familial politics which has been extending an arm ever since the British Raj. In a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, an interesting view-point of Indian politics was given notice stating, “In India politics is not a vocation, but a family business.” Continuing with his argument, Amrit Dhillon also comments that “Whichever party you look at, in every part of India, nepotism is rampant. Merit, a record in public life, knowledge, skills, character, are all irrelevant. If you have the right surname, you will get a ticket.”

While just politics in a global scenario is still long miles away, it is safe to say that there are pros and cons both attached to the increasing importance to the student bodies in India. While it still is ushering up in other universities, the Delhi University scenario places a good observation and argument as to where we stand when it comes to student parliament bodies, and their role in the overall national hierarchy of democracy.

Sources cited:

https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/nepotism-the-way-they-do-politics-in-india-20140327-zqnpg.html

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2642743?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Avnika Chhikara

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News

DU AISA President, Kawalpreet Kaur Attacked

By Kinjal Pandey August 19, 2018

AISA President Kawalpreet Kaur was attacked by goons yesterday. With frequent attacks on students, the safety of North Campus students raises a serious concern.

On Saturday, 18th August 2018, the University of Delhi President of All India Student’s Association(AISA) Kawalpreet Kaur and her four friends were attacked by goons around 12:05 a.m. in Vijay Nagar Double Storey area of North Delhi.

Kawalpreet Kaur was with four of her friends, Ankit Pandey, Jatin Verma, Rishabh Mishra and, Aman Nawaz when the incident took place outside Dinesh General Store in Vijaynagar. Three to four goons tried to harass Kawalpreet and passed lewd comments. When one of her friends tried to stop the goons, they attacked them. After few minutes, four more people joined the goons. Some of them appeared heavily drunk. One of them carried a pistol along with him and pointed it towards Kawalpreet telling her that he would kill all of them. Kawalpreet moved inside a building and locked herself up to protect herself from the goons, But, her friends were brutally attacked by beer and glass bottles. Ankit Pandey and Jatin Verma have sustained some serious internal injuries and fractures along with bruises on face and head. The CCTV footage of Dinesh General Store clearly shows the horrifying incident.

Complaint Copy 1 — Credits – Kawalpreet Kaur’s Facebook Profile

A FIR has been filed by Kawalpreet Kaur regarding the incident in Model Town Police Station. The sections of the Indian Penal Code applied are Section 308- Attempt to commit culpable homicide, Section 323-Punishmentof voluntarily causing hurt, Section 341-Punishment for wrongful restraint ,Section 509- Word,gesture or act intended to hurt the modesty of a woman, Section 506(ii)- Punishment for criminal intimidation, and, Section 34-Acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention.

Kawalpreet Kaur along with some students took out a march from Vijay Nagar to Model Town Police Station on 19th August 2018 against the hooliganism taking place in the area, the attacks on the students and, for the police to take swift action. Delhi Police has identified and arrested four people named Ayush, Rahul, Shubham and Monu regarding the same. One of these owns an ironing shop in Vijay Nagar. The person with the pistol has been identified as Pawan, from Sangam Vihar and is yet to be arrested by the Delhi Police.

DU Beat spoke to Kawalpreet Kaur on the issue. She said, “With such crimes rising day by day, a question arises on the safety and security of the students living in the campus area.” Kawalpreet also informed that the Delhi Police inspector of Model Town, Satish Kumar questioned her as to why she was outside her room around 12:15 a.m. instead she should have stayed inside.

Here is the link of Kawlpreet’s Facebook post: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1623379317766221&id=100002825066775

Feature Image Credits: News Nation

Anoushka Sharma

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Around the Campus

If Views Dissent, So Will Actions

By DU Beat March 18, 2017

The old-school theories on saffronisation, nationalism and Tiranga have to be given up as future calls for newer and revised visions for the nation.

Be it before or after independence, India has always had perpetual conflicts on the integration of the people who differ socially, politically and also economically. People brood over the fact that untouchability should be abolished from the society without realising that one economically backward person automatically becomes vulnerable to acts equivalent to untouchability. The conception that political security over economic security is more important in a country, has what been a degrading agent among the masses of India. ‘Masses of India’ has been particularly used because they are the ones who choose their representatives in this democratic nation who comprise of people wishing for economic development after political constancy.

All year round, the conflicts and battles are enshrouded, but as the time for elections approach, upheaval of protests, marches and rallies take place creating mass hysteria, calling for supporters. And now, colleges have become proxy battlefields for the political parties where students are used as pawns to wage wars for their leaders. So basically, it is a battle between these elephants and expectedly, the students are the ones to always get trampled upon. Student politics should mainly focus on their rights but instead, they are manipulated by politicians of all parties to fight the fights of their political masters. While becoming a part of a student body one is immediately confined to the messy system where they are forced to adopt an identity that may not be comfortable to live with. After that, the identity or rather, the label will guide their actions and ideology. Most students want to stay away from politics but they are sucked into politics whether they like it or not when they are disturbed by all the agitations around them but they are absolutely powerless. The politically active students have ‘Power’. The silent majority of students who just want to focus on their education and career are hijacked by the political minority who call the shots. Unlike the education institutions in the world where hooliganism in the institutional premises can lead to rustication, in India if you indulge in violence on the goading of your political masters, you know they will save you when you are in trouble. This, in effect, gives a free licence to indulge in violence. Thus, we have far more cases of vandalism, deaths and general indiscipline. People are thankful for the years they spent as students but when political parties come into the picture, it just generates a kind of uncomfortable discourse in the life of an Indian student. Like an offline version of the news hour debates, the student political leaders try to justify their vandalism, and their parties leading to one confrontation after another, non-stop, accusing each other of the issues going around. College heads are scared to act owing to political interference. Professors are wary of doing anything radically different and will take the beaten path. Agitations overshadow studies. Man hours are lost as a result of umpteen strikes, debates and confrontations.

Our educational institutions have become extremely inefficient owing to the type of student politics that is practised. This is a dark side of the appreciated Indian education system, which is indeed shameful. The call of the hour is to bar the interference of politics into the education system. The educated youth can make its own decisions that can be the perfect blend of social, political and economic benefits for the future. Instead of making the students their pawns to wins elections, new set of nationalist ideas could be injected among the Indian youth that totally vary from Saffronisation, Ban on Beef, Tiranga and of course the never ending wars and strikes. Let not unstable politics overshadow our economic backwardness. Let the nation move forth to economic stability and intellectual prosperity.

Image credits: indianyouth.net